Said Sen. Bob Bennett: "I don't think the 'PC' police are going to show up and arrest anybody who happens to say 'Merry Christmas,' and if someone decides personally in his own Christmas cards to say 'Happy Holidays,' or 'Seasons Greetings,' I don't think the opposite form of police should show up and attack them. Everyone ought to be able to say 'Merry Christmas' if they want and they ought to be able to say 'Happy Holidays' if they want and they ought to be able to say 'Bah, Humbug,' if they want."
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_3342785?source=rss
Monday, December 26, 2005
Monday, December 19, 2005
the sort of homecoming
Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005): first off, i love brad pitt. he now has this type-cast role in every movie where he plays a goofy, funny, cool guy, where things just don't seem to go his way. i love this character and that makes the movie for me. the future mrs. jolie-pitt was decent, but nothing remarkable. the plot is weak: marriage life, they find out their secret, want to kill each other, make up, everyone wants to kill them, live happily ever after. but it's action packed and entertaining. cheesy dialogue, but half naked future mrs. jolie-pitt makes up for that. i certainly don't think she is the hottest woman in the world, but if you watch it, you'll lose all doubt about why brad dropped that friends girl. you'll be entertained and it will be a fun movie to pull out every now and than. buy it.
Syriana (2005): obviously if you love traffic, you'll be down for this as well. but it's not for the average viewer who doesn't like to actually think during the movie. tons of characters and story lines weaving in and out. let's just say, it's not the easiest movie to follow and it's one that will need a second (or third) viewing to make sense of things. the middle eastern life that is portrayed through the film gets you thinking that this stuff is happening on another planet. you hear about common life and royal life in the middle east and we grow up assuming we have a clear image of what goes on there, but they do a wonderful job giving you an eye opener of what it can be like. i've read some reviews on the movie saying how "out there" this movie is because the cia doesn't operate like that, or the big oil business isn't that full of corruption, etc. i think these critics forget that this movie is a work of fiction. so quit crying about it and just enjoy the movie. it's amazing though. great everything. worth adding to the collection. it's fingernail ripping grrreat!
i get the window seat exactly on the wing. so if the engine blows, i'm a goner. from our gate i can see most of the district. i've seen the capitol building more times than i can remember, but it looks so different today. yesterday i stood under the dome for one more time. today i just look on as a spectator. it is quite a marvel. it means so much to so many people. yesterday was extremely difficult. as expected, or not actually, i grew attached to a good number of people. i hope to see them all again, even though it will never bee the same. the collective unit that is the bennett office will exist only in the back of my head somewhere. brak gave me some of his famous advice on all of this yesterday, but i don't remember much of it. the christmas party was wonderful yesterday. good food, good singing, bad singing, a successful top ten list that everyone thoroughly enjoyed including the boss, and some nice departing gifts. the interns got this year's capitol ornament complete with the boss's auto-etching on the back. the staff go neato (not really) tumblers with a senate patch in each of them. if that doesn't really make sense, let's just say they are cheap cups and i'm glad to have gotten the ornament. i just realized that i can even see the white house from where i'm sitting. i learned so much and i think i've really grown too. hard to believe huh? i didn't realize how life changing this all would have been. ben and i went until the end by going to see syriana last night. said goodbye to chelsey and that about did it. got to bed late, but easily. 5 hour, 45 minute flight. full flight except for the one next to me. actually, maybe it wasn't really that life changing. i'm probably that same guy who left colorado. time will tell. it's so beautiful from up here. goodbye crystal plaza. goodbye my little jeep and jeff davis. goodbye potomac. goodbye dirksen, goodbye my dc dream, for tonight, as last i am coming home. i am coming home.
Syriana (2005): obviously if you love traffic, you'll be down for this as well. but it's not for the average viewer who doesn't like to actually think during the movie. tons of characters and story lines weaving in and out. let's just say, it's not the easiest movie to follow and it's one that will need a second (or third) viewing to make sense of things. the middle eastern life that is portrayed through the film gets you thinking that this stuff is happening on another planet. you hear about common life and royal life in the middle east and we grow up assuming we have a clear image of what goes on there, but they do a wonderful job giving you an eye opener of what it can be like. i've read some reviews on the movie saying how "out there" this movie is because the cia doesn't operate like that, or the big oil business isn't that full of corruption, etc. i think these critics forget that this movie is a work of fiction. so quit crying about it and just enjoy the movie. it's amazing though. great everything. worth adding to the collection. it's fingernail ripping grrreat!
i get the window seat exactly on the wing. so if the engine blows, i'm a goner. from our gate i can see most of the district. i've seen the capitol building more times than i can remember, but it looks so different today. yesterday i stood under the dome for one more time. today i just look on as a spectator. it is quite a marvel. it means so much to so many people. yesterday was extremely difficult. as expected, or not actually, i grew attached to a good number of people. i hope to see them all again, even though it will never bee the same. the collective unit that is the bennett office will exist only in the back of my head somewhere. brak gave me some of his famous advice on all of this yesterday, but i don't remember much of it. the christmas party was wonderful yesterday. good food, good singing, bad singing, a successful top ten list that everyone thoroughly enjoyed including the boss, and some nice departing gifts. the interns got this year's capitol ornament complete with the boss's auto-etching on the back. the staff go neato (not really) tumblers with a senate patch in each of them. if that doesn't really make sense, let's just say they are cheap cups and i'm glad to have gotten the ornament. i just realized that i can even see the white house from where i'm sitting. i learned so much and i think i've really grown too. hard to believe huh? i didn't realize how life changing this all would have been. ben and i went until the end by going to see syriana last night. said goodbye to chelsey and that about did it. got to bed late, but easily. 5 hour, 45 minute flight. full flight except for the one next to me. actually, maybe it wasn't really that life changing. i'm probably that same guy who left colorado. time will tell. it's so beautiful from up here. goodbye crystal plaza. goodbye my little jeep and jeff davis. goodbye potomac. goodbye dirksen, goodbye my dc dream, for tonight, as last i am coming home. i am coming home.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
the top ten christmas wishes of the bennett staff interns
10. A ban from congress of all those with last names ending in “credo.”
9. Anything to ignite Senator Stevens’ wrath, in order to boost C-SPAN’s sagging ratings.
8. That the 2004 intern Christmas party skit, would have been the last intern Christmas party skit.
7. A joint resolution combining the states of Utah and Idaho to form “Udaho.”
6. An earmark to build an even bigger, blacker iron sculpture for Hart senate building.
5. That the Federal Reserve implement an adjunct risk-management approach to policy, rather than relying solely on the specific linkages expressed in the complexity of formalar models of a misspecified world economy whose underlying empirical contagion appears to be in a continual state of flux.
4. That we could have come up with something funny for wish #4.
3. That Utahns were not required to donate to Senator Hatch’s campaign in order to avoid receiving his new CD.
2. That the Senate automatically adjourned for the day when Fox has a “Breaking News Alert” about another car chase.
And the number one Christmas wish of the Bennett Staff interns is...
1. That Senator Bennett chooses a Vice Presidential running mate wisely in his ’08 bid for the Presidency.
9. Anything to ignite Senator Stevens’ wrath, in order to boost C-SPAN’s sagging ratings.
8. That the 2004 intern Christmas party skit, would have been the last intern Christmas party skit.
7. A joint resolution combining the states of Utah and Idaho to form “Udaho.”
6. An earmark to build an even bigger, blacker iron sculpture for Hart senate building.
5. That the Federal Reserve implement an adjunct risk-management approach to policy, rather than relying solely on the specific linkages expressed in the complexity of formalar models of a misspecified world economy whose underlying empirical contagion appears to be in a continual state of flux.
4. That we could have come up with something funny for wish #4.
3. That Utahns were not required to donate to Senator Hatch’s campaign in order to avoid receiving his new CD.
2. That the Senate automatically adjourned for the day when Fox has a “Breaking News Alert” about another car chase.
And the number one Christmas wish of the Bennett Staff interns is...
1. That Senator Bennett chooses a Vice Presidential running mate wisely in his ’08 bid for the Presidency.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Reid Introduces Nuclear Waste On-Site Storage Legislation, Bennett Cosponsors
Bill will eliminate need for central nuclear waste repository like proposed Yucca Mountain project
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign introduced legislation today mandating that nuclear waste be stored on-site where it is produced and requiring the federal government to take responsibility for possession, stewardship, maintenance, and monitoring of the waste.
For decades, under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the government has focused only on the proposed Yucca Mountain site as a central repository for nuclear waste generated at plants around the country. However, conclusive evidence has shown that the Yucca Mountain project is fraught with safety, scientific and budgetary problems, making it a near certainty that the site will never be approved for use. Additionally, any plan that includes only one waste site would require transporting nuclear material from sites all over the country across thousands of miles, greatly increasing the chances of an accident or terrorist attack.
The legislation introduced today would eliminate the need for a single repository, ensuring nuclear waste can be safely stored on-site and under control of the federal government. The legislation will also increase safety at all nuclear power plants by providing funding for additional security to guard against accidents or terrorist attack.
The legislation was cosponsored by Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT). It would require nuclear power companies to store nuclear waste in what is known as dry cask storage containers. As approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, dry cask containers can safely store waste for at least one-hundred years and are already used at thirty-three nuclear power site throughout the country.
“I’ve always said that storage on site is the right scientific answer, but differing state laws have made it impossible. The Reid legislation resolves this problem, and buys us time to craft a sensible national policy on nuclear energy,” said Sen. Bob Bennett.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign introduced legislation today mandating that nuclear waste be stored on-site where it is produced and requiring the federal government to take responsibility for possession, stewardship, maintenance, and monitoring of the waste.
For decades, under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the government has focused only on the proposed Yucca Mountain site as a central repository for nuclear waste generated at plants around the country. However, conclusive evidence has shown that the Yucca Mountain project is fraught with safety, scientific and budgetary problems, making it a near certainty that the site will never be approved for use. Additionally, any plan that includes only one waste site would require transporting nuclear material from sites all over the country across thousands of miles, greatly increasing the chances of an accident or terrorist attack.
The legislation introduced today would eliminate the need for a single repository, ensuring nuclear waste can be safely stored on-site and under control of the federal government. The legislation will also increase safety at all nuclear power plants by providing funding for additional security to guard against accidents or terrorist attack.
The legislation was cosponsored by Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT). It would require nuclear power companies to store nuclear waste in what is known as dry cask storage containers. As approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, dry cask containers can safely store waste for at least one-hundred years and are already used at thirty-three nuclear power site throughout the country.
“I’ve always said that storage on site is the right scientific answer, but differing state laws have made it impossible. The Reid legislation resolves this problem, and buys us time to craft a sensible national policy on nuclear energy,” said Sen. Bob Bennett.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
the final week
believe it or not, i'm actually caught up with my blog. today is the first day that i don't have some pre-written script from my notebook that i'm copying from. i'm on the phones right now at work. busy times these are. last friday i took my first snow day of the year and went to whitetail in pennsylvania. went the wrong way a few times trying to get there, the jeep slid all over the road as i tried getting up the hill, and the wind was nasty going up the lifts. all in all, it was okay, but probably not worth the money i would have spent on lift tickets. only two main lifts were open and the longest run from the top of the lift to the base lasted a whole minute with me going as fast as i could (which is not very). there is only so much i can take of going up and down the same two lifts and runs, so i bailed after about two or three hours. tickets were free, so i shouldn't complain. it's a good warm up for when i hit the real mountains soon.
speaking of, a bit sad that my snowboard will be sitting in my jeep during the time i'm in colorado. instead of me driving back, for a number of reasons i will be flying to utah this saturday and the jeep will be shipped home full of most of my belongings, including my snowboarding stuff. after a few days in utah, k and i will drive home for the holidays. most of my time home will be fun filled with applying to law schools and last minute shopping. i'm looking foward to it.
friday night we all went to this army concert big shabang thing. it was pretty sweet. also took this past monday off with the intent to board some more, but decided to just chill and get some packing started. as mentioned before, my laptop is dead. it won't turn on and compusa says the power supply isn't getting any juice from the ac adaptor. two weeks is the turnaround time for getting it fixed they said. basically doesn't affect my life too much, except for the fact that there will be no picture updates for some time. this is disheartening because i do love my pics. they've basically been my only souvenir from this gig.
anyways, this is boring. the christmas party is this friday so i'm excited for my filet mignon. what does everyone want for christmas? either email me a list of what you want or just put your list as a comment to the blog. otherwise, you ain't gittin shiot.
speaking of, a bit sad that my snowboard will be sitting in my jeep during the time i'm in colorado. instead of me driving back, for a number of reasons i will be flying to utah this saturday and the jeep will be shipped home full of most of my belongings, including my snowboarding stuff. after a few days in utah, k and i will drive home for the holidays. most of my time home will be fun filled with applying to law schools and last minute shopping. i'm looking foward to it.
friday night we all went to this army concert big shabang thing. it was pretty sweet. also took this past monday off with the intent to board some more, but decided to just chill and get some packing started. as mentioned before, my laptop is dead. it won't turn on and compusa says the power supply isn't getting any juice from the ac adaptor. two weeks is the turnaround time for getting it fixed they said. basically doesn't affect my life too much, except for the fact that there will be no picture updates for some time. this is disheartening because i do love my pics. they've basically been my only souvenir from this gig.
anyways, this is boring. the christmas party is this friday so i'm excited for my filet mignon. what does everyone want for christmas? either email me a list of what you want or just put your list as a comment to the blog. otherwise, you ain't gittin shiot.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
the economy
in response to the ongoing economic debate from december 6:
recession: a period of general economic decline; specifically, a decline in gdp for two or more consecutive quarters.
gdp hasn't been down for two consecutive quarters since like 2001.
economic growth rate: the pace at which economic growth increases during a given interval. the quantities most commonly used to measure economic growth rate are gross national product and gross domestic product. the growth in gross domestic product is usually a good indication of economic growth, but in an economy for which earnings from overseas are substantial in relation to gross domestic product, it is better to look at gross national product.
so gdp is in fact a good indicator of economic growth. both gdp and gnp are up. also, u.s. workers' productivity went up 4.7 percent this past quarter. productivity is an essential factor in long-term economic health.
i will try and find numbers on your employment remarks. but with unemployment at 5 percent, this is lower than i think any average rate since the 60s. people are working.
and as far as me being brainwashed, being here allows me to be bombarded by critics from both sides of the isle. i read about all points of all issues every single work day. i see a lot of things that go on behind the scenes and have formed a few new opinions with respect to a number of issues. although there are times when i feel it would be best to distance myself from the democratic party, i continue to lean toward the party with my beliefs and because they remain a strong voice in power, i will stick with them.
final note: "More importantly, [the federal government] helped America weather a very difficult five years, during which we’ve been hit with a stock market decline, recession, terrorist attacks, corporate scandals, high energy costs, and devastating natural disasters. History is replete with examples of even some such events sparking massive economic calamities. Instead, we’re charging ahead with a growth rate that remains the envy of the world. If we have a crisis, it’s only one of confidence, which is perhaps understandable in a time of war, but is certainly in contradiction to the real state of the economy." - Senator Jon Kyl
http://realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-12_13_05_JK.html
p.s. my laptop is shot.
recession: a period of general economic decline; specifically, a decline in gdp for two or more consecutive quarters.
gdp hasn't been down for two consecutive quarters since like 2001.
economic growth rate: the pace at which economic growth increases during a given interval. the quantities most commonly used to measure economic growth rate are gross national product and gross domestic product. the growth in gross domestic product is usually a good indication of economic growth, but in an economy for which earnings from overseas are substantial in relation to gross domestic product, it is better to look at gross national product.
so gdp is in fact a good indicator of economic growth. both gdp and gnp are up. also, u.s. workers' productivity went up 4.7 percent this past quarter. productivity is an essential factor in long-term economic health.
i will try and find numbers on your employment remarks. but with unemployment at 5 percent, this is lower than i think any average rate since the 60s. people are working.
and as far as me being brainwashed, being here allows me to be bombarded by critics from both sides of the isle. i read about all points of all issues every single work day. i see a lot of things that go on behind the scenes and have formed a few new opinions with respect to a number of issues. although there are times when i feel it would be best to distance myself from the democratic party, i continue to lean toward the party with my beliefs and because they remain a strong voice in power, i will stick with them.
final note: "More importantly, [the federal government] helped America weather a very difficult five years, during which we’ve been hit with a stock market decline, recession, terrorist attacks, corporate scandals, high energy costs, and devastating natural disasters. History is replete with examples of even some such events sparking massive economic calamities. Instead, we’re charging ahead with a growth rate that remains the envy of the world. If we have a crisis, it’s only one of confidence, which is perhaps understandable in a time of war, but is certainly in contradiction to the real state of the economy." - Senator Jon Kyl
http://realclearpolitics.com/Commentary/com-12_13_05_JK.html
p.s. my laptop is shot.
Monday, December 12, 2005
the messiah
i just spent like three hours at the national cathedral seeing messiah. had to go through the entire thing, this way i'll never have to see it again. it's like the nutcracker. once you've seen it, you never have to see it again in your life time. the national cathedral is so amazing. president wilson's tomb is just right there for you to touch and see too. i would have loved to take a tour of the place but it's too far from where i live to want to come back. and i got crappy, crappy seats. i think i was something like in the second to last row in the sixth largest cathedral in the world. not complaining much since it was free. oh wait, it was $25 for my crappy ticket. messiah itself was okay. it's just a million little sections of chorus that all sound the same though. would probably rather see just a full orchestral /instrumental piece. as you can see, my brain is lacking when it comes to music terminology. i know there are names for these, i just don't know what.
...
snow. finally. a few potential inches of snow and the town thinks it's armageddon. we got to leave early when it started, which was incredible. i'm working on beating halo on the heroic level, but it's so freaking difficult. can't imagine trying it on legendary. and i haven't even gotten to the flood yet. anyways, taking this friday and monday off for some good time virginia snowboarding. thrilled actually.
i've realized that of all the republican senators, i landed the best office to work in. of all the offices within bennett's, 429 is by far the best. and i'm not just saying that either. i know the other interns had really good experiences as well, but i think the experience i've had with my people easily tops theirs. my room-roommates were kind of lame and my apartment could have been better. but overall, i'm pretty glad i did all of this.
...
snow. finally. a few potential inches of snow and the town thinks it's armageddon. we got to leave early when it started, which was incredible. i'm working on beating halo on the heroic level, but it's so freaking difficult. can't imagine trying it on legendary. and i haven't even gotten to the flood yet. anyways, taking this friday and monday off for some good time virginia snowboarding. thrilled actually.
i've realized that of all the republican senators, i landed the best office to work in. of all the offices within bennett's, 429 is by far the best. and i'm not just saying that either. i know the other interns had really good experiences as well, but i think the experience i've had with my people easily tops theirs. my room-roommates were kind of lame and my apartment could have been better. but overall, i'm pretty glad i did all of this.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
the law school admission test
there is so much drama with this skit thing. well, not really drama, just a pain. it was supposed to take place at the christmas party this monday. then i found out today that the boss wasn't even going to be there because of some trip to china. we then got an email from chip saying they were going to put off the party until either the 15th or 19th, but he would still like to have the interns do their "skit" tomorrow because we "worked so hard on it." this would have been horribly awkward because it's a top ten list that would take about thirty seconds to read. at least before at the party we would all be part of a performance thing. luckily we got an email later from maren saying it would now be the 16th, our last day. but candice will be gone by then (thank goodness) and mikel may or may not be here because she was planning to leave a few days early, leaving brak and i to fend for ourselves. i requested my two remaining personal days off so next week will be a nice four day weekend. i'm not counting that there will be snow, so most likely it will be a repeat of thanksgiving.
...
it's 6:25 am and in five minutes i will be out the door on the way to baltimore. the ride will be long, dark, and cold. i had always imagined this to be the worst day of my life. i'm scared for the stupid essay. scared of the games section that i will just freeze up like i did a few weeks ago. oh well. there is no cancelling the test if i feel i don't do so well. alright, away we go.
...
my waitress has a really bad black/yellow eye and it's so hard to look at her without feeling like i'm staring right at it. the lsat ended about thirty minutes ago and i'm about to treat myself to some delicious maryland crab cakes. my neck aches so bad from staring down at a desk for hours and hours straight. it was hard, but i kept my cool during it all for the most part. started to lose focus during one of the sections toward the end, but sort of got back into it. also on the essay, i wrote "of" instead of "that." don't ask how i managed to screw that up. i don't feel like i did any better than usual, but i do feel good it's over. so, amazing games i'm missing: vtech v. fsu, cu v. tx, and usc v. ucla. right now it's tx 35, cu 3 (courtesy of karen). at this place in baltimore's harbor called city lights and eating one of the best bowls of clam chowder i've ever had. and i know my chowder. certainly rivals anything from sf. now i'm on to the crab cakes. this city has got good food like it's got scary ghettos full of black people. lots that is. wow. i'm going all out here. next up: chocolate swirl cheesecake. wow. wow, wow, wow. unarguably one of the best places i've eaten at since being here. no lsat, great food. life doesn't get better than this. i guess if i were in a lodge eating this and my board was waiting outside for me, then it would be better. but this will certainly do. it's sure cold enough outside to be boarding. it's freaking freezing. and the damage is...(drum roll)...too expensive for one person to ever spend. as jerry would say, "this doesn't look right. i'm not hungry, why am i buying all this food?" back to va. will i ever return to the lovely state of md, the charming, sometimes ghettoish city of baltimore? let's hope so.
...
it's 6:25 am and in five minutes i will be out the door on the way to baltimore. the ride will be long, dark, and cold. i had always imagined this to be the worst day of my life. i'm scared for the stupid essay. scared of the games section that i will just freeze up like i did a few weeks ago. oh well. there is no cancelling the test if i feel i don't do so well. alright, away we go.
...
my waitress has a really bad black/yellow eye and it's so hard to look at her without feeling like i'm staring right at it. the lsat ended about thirty minutes ago and i'm about to treat myself to some delicious maryland crab cakes. my neck aches so bad from staring down at a desk for hours and hours straight. it was hard, but i kept my cool during it all for the most part. started to lose focus during one of the sections toward the end, but sort of got back into it. also on the essay, i wrote "of" instead of "that." don't ask how i managed to screw that up. i don't feel like i did any better than usual, but i do feel good it's over. so, amazing games i'm missing: vtech v. fsu, cu v. tx, and usc v. ucla. right now it's tx 35, cu 3 (courtesy of karen). at this place in baltimore's harbor called city lights and eating one of the best bowls of clam chowder i've ever had. and i know my chowder. certainly rivals anything from sf. now i'm on to the crab cakes. this city has got good food like it's got scary ghettos full of black people. lots that is. wow. i'm going all out here. next up: chocolate swirl cheesecake. wow. wow, wow, wow. unarguably one of the best places i've eaten at since being here. no lsat, great food. life doesn't get better than this. i guess if i were in a lodge eating this and my board was waiting outside for me, then it would be better. but this will certainly do. it's sure cold enough outside to be boarding. it's freaking freezing. and the damage is...(drum roll)...too expensive for one person to ever spend. as jerry would say, "this doesn't look right. i'm not hungry, why am i buying all this food?" back to va. will i ever return to the lovely state of md, the charming, sometimes ghettoish city of baltimore? let's hope so.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
the abortion case
i'm outside the supreme court trying to get in to hear a case but i don't know how good my chances are today. there is an abortion case being heard and protestors galore. the NOW chanters, nuts holding up nasty pics of aborted fetuses, and some guitar guy drowning out the chanters with his singing. i'm freaking cold too. and the news is just living it up. it's been a few days since i wrote anything in here, so how 'bout a recap? mikel didn't get the job in hatch's office. lsat in four days, not ready of course. finished my personal statement yesterday. woohoo. totally thought lsac already had all my college transcripts. turned out to not be the case. so i had to mail out all my requests yesterday. my final paper is due monday for the internship. i'll have to start that sunday. it's freaking cold! no snow though. it's actually been quite nice since like october. there are usually two lines for the sc: one for those staying for the whole case, another that gets ushered in and out in like ten minute increments. today there is one line. i have a feeling i'll be ushered in and out. i don't even know what time it is. the protesting seems to be dying down. the arguments will be over before i even get out of this line. i've now moved into a new line, the hour line. hour as in, we stay in for an entire one hour case. personally i think i'll be standing here for another hour. the other line is the three to five minute line. we have to go in a back way i think because two days ago, chunks of marble fell off the building. i can see now where it broke from. it's one of the squares above the guy holding some long stick thing. looks like one of those rolled up reed mats you would use at a beach. it's probably some roll of laws or something. sucks for these one protesters. there are fourteen kids my age standing in a line facing the court and they all have red tape covering their mouths. all they get to do is stand and stare. i'm standing and starting but at least i get to go in.
11:30 now and i'm finally in the building. and i'm in. it's so amazing to see them all up there. turns out my hour line suddenly turned into the three to five minute line. they are arguing about emergency medical exceptions to parental notice of abortions. the lawyer is a very young woman. they are all grinding her pretty hard. and just like that, it's over and i'm ushered out. two and a half hours for less than ten minutes. but damn, that was sweet.
...
wow, that was the greatest car chase ever. i have the greatest job because we have so many tvs everywhere. we sat and watched the whole thing and i even made $2 from wagers on what the nut would do next.
...
i got a letter in the mail today from a friend. a freaking letter and card! i've gotten cards from k and my mom throughout, but this is the first time anything like this has come for me. brightened my day. i get headaches just about everyday now. i know it's a combo of things that bring it on, but i wish they would go away. i really wish i could just stop thinking about saturday. i want to finish out the week, take it, and treat it like it's just another day that i happen to take a seven hour exam, and just start a new week. luckily we've been really cracking down on our skit for monday. we are doing a top ten congress christmas wish list. once it's set in stone, i will gladly post it here.
these last few nights, well, ever since thanksgiving, i literally do nothing when i'm at my apartment except try and pass the time so i can sleep and get to the next day. wander from room to room, check email every ten minutes for nothing, organize crap in my room, stand in the middle of the living room to write meaningless crap in a notebook. it's pretty pathetic. i hate the people that tell me "oh you'll do fine [on the lsat]." how do they know that? where do they get off saying that? to me, those aren't words of encouragement. just puts even more pressure on me to do well. i'll take a "wow, best of luck", or even a "man, sucks to be you."
11:30 now and i'm finally in the building. and i'm in. it's so amazing to see them all up there. turns out my hour line suddenly turned into the three to five minute line. they are arguing about emergency medical exceptions to parental notice of abortions. the lawyer is a very young woman. they are all grinding her pretty hard. and just like that, it's over and i'm ushered out. two and a half hours for less than ten minutes. but damn, that was sweet.
...
wow, that was the greatest car chase ever. i have the greatest job because we have so many tvs everywhere. we sat and watched the whole thing and i even made $2 from wagers on what the nut would do next.
...
i got a letter in the mail today from a friend. a freaking letter and card! i've gotten cards from k and my mom throughout, but this is the first time anything like this has come for me. brightened my day. i get headaches just about everyday now. i know it's a combo of things that bring it on, but i wish they would go away. i really wish i could just stop thinking about saturday. i want to finish out the week, take it, and treat it like it's just another day that i happen to take a seven hour exam, and just start a new week. luckily we've been really cracking down on our skit for monday. we are doing a top ten congress christmas wish list. once it's set in stone, i will gladly post it here.
these last few nights, well, ever since thanksgiving, i literally do nothing when i'm at my apartment except try and pass the time so i can sleep and get to the next day. wander from room to room, check email every ten minutes for nothing, organize crap in my room, stand in the middle of the living room to write meaningless crap in a notebook. it's pretty pathetic. i hate the people that tell me "oh you'll do fine [on the lsat]." how do they know that? where do they get off saying that? to me, those aren't words of encouragement. just puts even more pressure on me to do well. i'll take a "wow, best of luck", or even a "man, sucks to be you."
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
More Economic Good News
With 215,000 new jobs created in November and 4.5 million in the past 30 consecutive months, Sen. Bennett discusses economic good news with Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist and Assistant Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“I agree with the Wall Street Journal. This recovery is the Rodney Dangerfield recovery: It don't get no respect. But if you look at the economic activity over the last couple of years, it is, on average, better than the average of the 1990s. And you remember how everybody talked about the 1990s as the economic nirvana. And we are doing better now then we were then.”
http://bennett.senate.gov/
“I agree with the Wall Street Journal. This recovery is the Rodney Dangerfield recovery: It don't get no respect. But if you look at the economic activity over the last couple of years, it is, on average, better than the average of the 1990s. And you remember how everybody talked about the 1990s as the economic nirvana. And we are doing better now then we were then.”
http://bennett.senate.gov/
Monday, December 05, 2005
the double feature
with great power comes great responsibility. i have to pick maren up from the airport at 12:40 tonight. luckily it's reagan and not dulles. luckily it's maren and not natalie c. not sure if i should stay awake until then and play halo or get an hour or two of sleep. we'll see how i feel after this movie. i think people get too caught up in my natalie portman fascination. you may not know, but i'm also very fond of claire danes too. she's not my leading lady of choice, but she's up there. annapolis looks clichéd.
Shopgirl (2005): barely saw the trailer this afternoon and here i am. i'm waiting to see tom as an extra in saks. "if you had, like a jiffy baggy, i could use that." jason schwartzman is great. i want my hair like his. bridget wilson sampras is dog ugly. wow. i'm gonna get k some black gloves. the slow-mo parts with just music playing are to die for. there are so many scenes that only last about a minute or under. everything is just so unique to this movie. you can tell halfway that this movie is heading for heartbreak for ms. mirabelle. takes a long time to realize the significance of the jeramie character. just comic relief? you'll find out. and the movie has mrs. fisher!! i love her. i really hope steve and claire end up together, but it doesn't seem like it will happen. please prove me wrong steve. it's kinda like lost in translation, only up a notch. not saying it is better than lost though. worth buying i think. and sorry, not gonna spoil the ending. it's good though.
next movie starts in like ten minutes. might as well go. i'm in this theater that basically only shows all the indie films that are out. the only workers are all these indian people. wonder if it's a big family. so i guess i found something to pass my time before i pick up maren.
i'm all for any wwii movie, so i'll try to find an aryan couple and see it. the trailer for bee season shows no plot. no plot equals no reason for me to see. see how important trailers can be?
The Squid and the Whale (2005): it's 1986 but i'm seeing lots of new cars. i'll let it slide for being small budget. works good though since they sacrificed that for the amazing on location filming. this family is so messed up. i'm waiting for one of the kids to kill themselves. the characters are all very complicated. very hard to read. it is extremely crude and risqué, so it's not for everyone. you gotta love william baldwin. his part is the only one that makes sense. produced by wes anderson. i could have called that. it's arty, not cut and dry, complex. it's also raining on me. maybe my jeep will finally get clean. i just didn't 'get' the movie. the way things are all tied up at the end wasn't satisfying for me. the acting is amazing especially by jeff daniels. he should be nominated. not worth seeing though. i'm sure it will be nominated for a few other awards though.
Shopgirl (2005): barely saw the trailer this afternoon and here i am. i'm waiting to see tom as an extra in saks. "if you had, like a jiffy baggy, i could use that." jason schwartzman is great. i want my hair like his. bridget wilson sampras is dog ugly. wow. i'm gonna get k some black gloves. the slow-mo parts with just music playing are to die for. there are so many scenes that only last about a minute or under. everything is just so unique to this movie. you can tell halfway that this movie is heading for heartbreak for ms. mirabelle. takes a long time to realize the significance of the jeramie character. just comic relief? you'll find out. and the movie has mrs. fisher!! i love her. i really hope steve and claire end up together, but it doesn't seem like it will happen. please prove me wrong steve. it's kinda like lost in translation, only up a notch. not saying it is better than lost though. worth buying i think. and sorry, not gonna spoil the ending. it's good though.
next movie starts in like ten minutes. might as well go. i'm in this theater that basically only shows all the indie films that are out. the only workers are all these indian people. wonder if it's a big family. so i guess i found something to pass my time before i pick up maren.
i'm all for any wwii movie, so i'll try to find an aryan couple and see it. the trailer for bee season shows no plot. no plot equals no reason for me to see. see how important trailers can be?
The Squid and the Whale (2005): it's 1986 but i'm seeing lots of new cars. i'll let it slide for being small budget. works good though since they sacrificed that for the amazing on location filming. this family is so messed up. i'm waiting for one of the kids to kill themselves. the characters are all very complicated. very hard to read. it is extremely crude and risqué, so it's not for everyone. you gotta love william baldwin. his part is the only one that makes sense. produced by wes anderson. i could have called that. it's arty, not cut and dry, complex. it's also raining on me. maybe my jeep will finally get clean. i just didn't 'get' the movie. the way things are all tied up at the end wasn't satisfying for me. the acting is amazing especially by jeff daniels. he should be nominated. not worth seeing though. i'm sure it will be nominated for a few other awards though.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
the break
happy thanksgiving everyone. having roommate bonding time with vance watching that big old special on las vegas, episodes of seinfeld, and now at harry potter. lion, witch and the wardrobe: not sure if it'll be good, but since the books are the greatest ever, i have to see it. i'm very anxious about lady in the water. m night freaking shyamalan!! getting sick of cartoony movies. so no to over the hedge, monster house, and happy feet.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005): the movie starts off so fast that you can't even blink without missing something relevant. special effects are as good as can be and better. i really don't even need to review anymore. i know this will be amazing. some of the light hearted jokes weren't really that funny at all. but wow. add another one to the collection. go see it, go buy it.
...
how are mattresses made? are there giant sewing machines and spring creators? are taiwanese children hand stuffing these? i have no idea how this is accomplished. no wonder they are so expensive. jared is finally gone and my room is now the envy of all interns. well they haven't said anything, but i'm sure there's envy. this thanksgiving break has consisted of: seinfeld, metal of honor, getting my hair re-highlighted because the last lady sucked, don pablo's mexican food served by black waitresses (sorry, it's just weird), leaving the apartment on average of about one hour a day, myspace, and more seinfeld. just how much seinfeld can one watch you ask? i have determined that there is no limit to this masterpiece. probably watched close to thirty episodes in the last three days. also tack on season one of the office. i've basically stopped caring about anything these past four days. lsat is in six days and i'm not as nervous anymore. more nervous that i won't find the place. i really want to hit up the sundance festival this year. three or four years now, i don't know, i've lived in utah and have yet to go. this is the year. maybe.
what the hell are swedish meatballs? i have an eye for them every time i shop for groceries. could end up being something like rocky mountain oysters for all i know.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005): the movie starts off so fast that you can't even blink without missing something relevant. special effects are as good as can be and better. i really don't even need to review anymore. i know this will be amazing. some of the light hearted jokes weren't really that funny at all. but wow. add another one to the collection. go see it, go buy it.
...
how are mattresses made? are there giant sewing machines and spring creators? are taiwanese children hand stuffing these? i have no idea how this is accomplished. no wonder they are so expensive. jared is finally gone and my room is now the envy of all interns. well they haven't said anything, but i'm sure there's envy. this thanksgiving break has consisted of: seinfeld, metal of honor, getting my hair re-highlighted because the last lady sucked, don pablo's mexican food served by black waitresses (sorry, it's just weird), leaving the apartment on average of about one hour a day, myspace, and more seinfeld. just how much seinfeld can one watch you ask? i have determined that there is no limit to this masterpiece. probably watched close to thirty episodes in the last three days. also tack on season one of the office. i've basically stopped caring about anything these past four days. lsat is in six days and i'm not as nervous anymore. more nervous that i won't find the place. i really want to hit up the sundance festival this year. three or four years now, i don't know, i've lived in utah and have yet to go. this is the year. maybe.
what the hell are swedish meatballs? i have an eye for them every time i shop for groceries. could end up being something like rocky mountain oysters for all i know.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)