Democrat(ic) Discourse

Don Imus

2007-04-10T00:07:00.000-05:00

I love how Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton see themselves as the moral representatives of the black community.

A month

2007-02-18T10:45:00.000-06:00

I have been a social worker for a month now. I have many reflections on my time so far, but, because this blog isn't anonymous, I can't share anything specific here. I can say that I really enjoy the feeling of knowing that I am helping people.

I am going to post the following quote in my office this week:

"We can do no great things; only small things with great love."
-Mother Teresa

That is my goal for this job.

Lately

2007-02-07T21:14:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been busy. I have also been very happy.

Work has been going quite well. I don't want to get my hopes up too much yet, but I may have a promotion in the works (after only 3 weeks!). My new title would be policy analyst. We shall see what happens. In the meantime, I start actively managing a caseload on Monday, which I have been anxiously anticipating.

I have been reading Courting Justice, by David Boies, and Cesar's Way, by Cesar Millan. They are both excellent books that I highly suggest. A weird thing has happened to me, now that I don't have near as much free time, I don't enjoy watching tv near as much. I have been reading ALOT more. I have also been preparing better for law school since I got a job, weird huh?

Goodnight.

New Job, New Semester, New Year

2007-01-21T19:46:00.000-06:00

I will be the first to admit that I entered 2007 depressed over the year's prospects. I believe that I am an eternal optimist, but months of failed job-searching and other personal problems plagued my spirit at the end of 2-0-0-6. I'm not going to sit here and lie and say that I had some trust, faith, or expectation that things would improve, because I was convinced that they wouldn't.

Thankfully things did change. I began working for a non-profit organization last Thursday. This is really a dream job for me. This non-profit, which I am not naming because I do not want any Google searches, etc to bring people to my personal blog, receives 95% of its funding from the federal governement. We operate under the auspices of a department of the federal government that is under the will of the president and congress.

The only down-side to 2007 for me so far is the departure of one of my best friends from my law school class. She will be missed from law school but I hope never missed from my life.

On one last note, I need to stop watching Home Makeover on ABC because it pulls my heart strings to an almost unbearable degree.

No More Torts

2006-12-13T15:19:00.000-06:00

I remember back to my microeconomics classes. The key to just about every answer was to say something about "incentives" or "___________ maximation will occur where marginal cost equals marginal benefits."

In torts the two stock things to include seem to be "reasonable man" and "foreseeability."

I am working the rest of this week, then heading up to Waco on Saturday for a graduation. On Sunday I look forward to spending some long overdue quality time with my two women, Danae and Ellie (our dog).

Busy Lately

2006-12-01T15:28:00.000-06:00

About three weeks ago I started a job waiting tables 4 days a week. It was an act of desperation due to my lack of gainful employment. The money is actually pretty decent and the job is somewhat fun.

This week I started working, on a temporary basis, for a floor of criminal law offices downtown. I worked 2 days this week and will work atleast 3 days next week. Sucks that I have all of this going on when my studying for torts should be going full-speed, but my situation is no different than any other part-timer. I am just happy to have some money rolling in and maybe some leads for full time employment in 2007.

On a different note, I am very proud of some people in my life and some of their recent accomplishments...

My brother, who is in the Army, began working at Walter Reed hospital in Washington, D.C. a few months ago. He has since met John Kerry and Joe Lieberman while working with soldiers who returned wounded from Iraq. I will try to post the picture with Sen. Lieberman in the coming days. Josh is doing very honorable work and I couldn't be more proud of him.

My sister, who is 12, slept in a cardboard box on Dauphin Street in Mobile a week ago. Her and a few hundred other youth did so to raise awareness and money for homeless in Mobile. They braved 50 degree weather and didn't leave until 6am.

My fiancee, Danae, has almost completed her first semester as a high school teacher. She has been tireless in her effort to motivate and educate her students.

My step-dad, who is in the US Navy, has been living in Jacksonville, Florida on the Navy base, when he isn't at sea for long periods of time. He has done this for the last year and will do it for another year and half to ensure that my sisters are able to go to the good schools they are currently are at and the family doesn't have to sell the house in Alabama, etc.

One of the greatest thrills of life is to see your loved ones do extrordinary things.

Journey to UHLC

2006-11-15T14:54:00.000-06:00

Let me take you back, back to a day a few years ago. It was a nice, spring day in Waco. One of those days that felt much more like summer than any spring day ever should. The Spring Semester of my sophomore year had just come to an end. I had earned my best GPA of college, 3.55 for 17 hours. (As it turns out, I never came close to beating that. My second highest was a 3.3). I was preparing to take dreaded community college classes all summer. Heavy Baylor semesters and classes every summer was the only way to get out of Baylor a semester early with the 130 hours I needed.

I was lounging around the apartment without a damned thing to do. My roommates were gone; it was to be my castle alone for the summer. I happened upon the LSAT website and found a practice test to take. I printed the whole test and took it over the next 3-4 hours. I didn't wake up that morning thinking it would be a day that would change my life, I woke up thinking it would be a day with a lot of time to kill. But, upon grading my test, I found a resurge in confidence that I might actually be able to go to law school. My GPA sucked, but maybe these good 'ole folks that make the LSAT might have thrown me a life-line.

The rest is history. I wasted no time to take the LSAT. I took it in October of my Junior year (that is the earliest I've ever heard of anyone taking theirs). The decision was purely practical in nature - I needed to know whether I would be going to law school so I could plan my remaining undergraduate classes towards it.

The LSAT came back solid. It wasn't exactly what I planned on, but good enough to offset my sorry grade point average (calculated by LSDAS as a 3.03 when I applied to law schools.)

SKIP FORWARD A YEAR AND A HALF

It was almost Valentine's Day in February, but my true love hadn't called or wrote yet. I was anxiously awaiting my letter from the Univ. of Houston Law Center. I had already received confirmation on their website that they had made a decision about me, however I didn't have an email like most that get accepted. I felt for sure that I had been turned down and sent on my merry way to some 2nd rate institution.

I walked out to my mailbox. It was one of those winter days that felt a lot more like spring than a winter day should. There it was - a thin standard sized envelope. Thoughts raced through my head and I hesitated to unseal the perforation. "You've been preparing for this day and you know what, everything is going to be okay. You will go to school X or Y and will do well there. Don't cry, you homo, and if you do I will kick you (me) in the ass personally."

The moment that followed was one of the best moments of my life, comparable to each of my siblings being born, when I thought that Al Gore won the presidency, when I read the exit polls and thought that John Kerry had won the presidency, and when I asked Danae to be my wife.

I opened the envelope and read the first line. I jumped up in the air, and I swear, I was flying. I was like Michael Jordan gliding to the basket from the free-throw line. I went inside my apartment and my roommate was asleep on the recliner. I threw the letter at him and exclaimed that I was accepted (with appropriate use of profanity).

I called my mom immediately and told her the good news. She, more than anyone else, always had this unwavering faith that I would get accepted. She visited the UHLC website probably more than me to check to see the class profiles, the way they judge applications, etc. She told me that all of her prayers must have paid off, and they certainly did.

In all actuality, it wasn't her prayers alone that made this happen. It was the sacrifices that she made for me for 22 years after my untimely birth when she was a youngster. It was here unfaltering work to ensure that her kids had a future filled with hope.

***This post was actually longer, but blogspot lost it, so I will rewrite the rest later today or tomorrow***

Bill Maher

2006-11-09T08:04:00.000-06:00

Last night, on Larry King Live, Bill Maher said the following:

"You know, when I woke up this morning I felt like a black person at the O.J. Simpson trial...We (democrats) finally won one!!"

My 1st Year Teacher

2006-11-08T14:38:00.000-06:00

As most of you know, I am engaged to a first year teacher. She is the one of the most resilient people I've known in this life, and God love her for it, because she wouldn't be surviving this experience if she wasn't. A few minutes ago, I wrote a quick poem to try to cheer her up when she gets home.

Sometimes at the end of the day
It seems like nothing went a young teacher’s way

She is tired, downtrodden, and filled with dismay
Nothing seems good, not even her pay,

These are the days she yearns for so much more
Wishes the students wouldn’t look at her with bore

Sometimes her thoughts go to walking out the door
But doing so would probably leave her goals and dreams quite sore,

So she presses on and does her best
To damned if it’s not good enough for the rest,

Because this stage in life she is only a guest
She can’t wait to finish it and have a big fest.

Wow

2006-11-08T09:43:00.000-06:00

Had a hell of a time with SAQ104 last night. Unfortunately, Chris Bell didn't mount a significant challenge against Rick Perry. However, last night was the best election night of my voting life thus far. Still can't believe it, the SENATE??

Voter Turnout

2006-11-07T14:28:00.000-06:00

Early reports show that the voter turnout, so far, has been very high for a mid-term election. This excites me greatly, not as a democrat, but as an American. Looks like it is going to be a really exciting day.

Big Week!

2006-11-05T19:14:00.000-06:00

It really sucks that my LARC assignment is due the same week as the midterm elections. I am extremely wired for Tuesday and am having a damn hard time getting anything done.

Okay, I am standing behind the predictions I made 2 weeks ago.

After the dust settles:

Senate: Dems 49, Repubs 51
House: Dems 221, Repubs 214
Governors: Dems 27, Repubs 23

Of course, I would be happy with anything better than this, but I am trying to remain cautiously optimistic.

However, Lord please give me one thing, give me a win by Harold Ford, Jr. in Tennessee. I think his chance of success is very small, but he is one of the best candidates I've seen in a long time, even though he is a anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage democrat. He is probably the most effective democrat campaigner since John Edwards (stumping in '04 for his presidential bid).

Jay Leno

2006-11-02T22:49:00.000-06:00

Well, Pat White and WVU had a tough night, nice job though.

Jay Leno said tonight:

"Did you guys hear about the lawyer in New York who dressed like Osama Bin Laden in New York? Apparently he started waiving a fake gun at cars and they tried to run over him -- not because he was dressed like Osama Bin Laden, but because they found out he was a lawyer."

and...

"Kevin, I had this really weird thing happen tonight. A boy came to my door and said "trick or treat." I said, "Wasn't that a few nights ago?" The boy responded, "I'm dressed as a FEMA worker."

Much love and good night, Andrew

Daphne Boy

2006-11-02T19:20:00.000-06:00

Pat White, quarterback of #3 West Virginia, is representing my hometown of Daphne, Alabama against the Louisvile Cardinals tonight.

D-town 251 boys, what??

Rush Limbaugh

2006-10-25T10:52:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to tell you my feelings on this, I'll let it stand on its own so I don't have to be profane...

To Rush Limbaugh on Monday, Michael J. Fox looked like a faker. The actor, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, has done a series of political ads supporting candidates who favor stem cell research, including Maryland Democrat Ben Cardin, who is running against Republican Michael Steele for the Senate seat being vacated by Paul Sarbanes.

"He is exaggerating the effects of the disease," Limbaugh told listeners. "He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act. . . . This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting."

Source: The Washington Post via MSNBC

Election Day Prediction

2006-10-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

This post is primarily a way for me to keep track of my own predictions for the 2006 election.

House: Democrats 221, Republicans 214

Senate: Democrats 47 + 1 (Vt Jefferson) + 1 (Ct Lieberman)
Republicans 51

Governors: Democrats 27, Republicans 23

This prediction includes all seats, even those not up for re-election.

The End Game

2006-10-23T11:43:00.000-05:00

This post is purely speculation. I am going to offer a general outline of what I believe will happen in Iraq in the next 2-3 years.

The presence of US troops will be sharply reduced by Summer 2007. The current level of approximately 155,000 will be lowered to 100-110,000. After this is done, security in Iraq with further deteriorate and many cities will become strongholds of the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis respectively.

The increased level of civil war in Iraq will force the remaining US troops out of the country. The troop level will be cut in half, down to 50,000, by Christmas 2007.

After this happens, the US will finally begin wrapping up this disaster. The US military will stand back, as much as possible, and try to identify which group of Iraqis is emerging as the strongest. When this is determined, the US military will begin giving weapons and money to that ethnic group. This will be done to help this group take over power and stabilize the country. It will also be done to encourage this group to keep a positive relationship with US (we will secretly help them and they will secretly help us.)

KO on HC last night

2006-10-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

Free Hugs

2006-10-19T15:59:00.000-05:00

Habeas Corpus

2006-10-18T00:12:00.000-05:00

Today marks 135 years since President Grant suspended habeas corpus in the South.

This president, President George W. Bush, has now suspended habeas corpus in the United States. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 allows the president to suspend habeas corpus for any citizen deemed to be an enemy combatant by the president or the Secretary of Defense.

The president also stated that "this bill complies with both the spirit and the letter of our international obligations. As I've said before, the United States does not torture." (Source: The White House) This comes after admission by U.S. officials that the United States engaged in water boarding as a torture technique. Peter Goss, director of the CIA, said in 2005, during a Senate hearing, that water boarding was a "professional interrogation technique."

I'm sick. Today marks a sad day in the history of this country. How far will we let this president go? We prosecuted people after WWII for water boarding, as a war crime, yet we routinely implement this method in the post-9/11 era. We are trying to form a beacon of democracy in the Middle East, yet we suspend one of most basic rights, habeas corpus, in our own country.

All of us are to blame. All of us have let this happen. I for one will not stand for it. I for one expect better.

We should be ashamed of ourselves, I for one am.

S. Quad Takes On Racism

2006-10-17T11:34:00.000-05:00

S. Quad wrote a great entry earlier today. Check it out:

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

UHFS Judging

2006-10-16T12:45:00.000-05:00

This morning my mom asked me how my judging at the high school tournament at UH went this weekend. In normal, long-winded fashion I replied with the following email:

Judging was a quite wonderful experience. It reminded me of my passion to educate young people. I mostly judged extemporaneous speeches, where they get a topic and then have 20 minutes to prepare for a 7 minute speech. I would hear 8 of these and then decide which two people would proceed to the next round. It was so hard to give some of the kids 7 or 8th place, especially when they did so well. I made a multitude of comments for each student on their evaulation sheet; I used a 5 to 1 positive to negative ratio that I learned in undergrad (five comments to encourage the child about what he/she was doing well and one comment to help them improve a weakness). I also spent atleast 4 or 5 minutes with each student, following their speech, discussing ways that they could improve their delivery or substance.

One of most rewarding parts about the judging was that I would see students, who moved on to later rounds, multiple times and would see them implement some of my suggestions. One of my interesting observations was the difference between the "have" and the "have not" schools. The upper-echelon schools, the privates and rich publics, would bring huge plastic bins full of researched files on every conceivable topic. They would use these to prepare for speeches and debates, after the assignment of a prompt. The "have not" schools didn't have as much luxury, in fact I'm sure their schools couldn't even afford to print so much paper. However, so many of these "have not" students demonstrated true resilience and met, or exceeded, the speeches and debates of their well-off peers.

In the end though, the final 8 contestents in the senior speech competition were all students with expensive attire and from undoubtably well-off schools. Their techniques were better, because their coaches were better. Their substance was better, because their research files were better. Their presentation was better, because their life experience was better.

I found myself considering our societal expectations and resources for low-income, inner-city students. We push these students into sports. We praise their atheletic ability and provide them with athletic resources galore. We as a country should, instead, provide the resources and motivation to get these kids involved in more academically-nurturing activities, like the ones I witnessed this weekend. The poorest kids can really benefit from the experience of going to a college campus, discussing academic issues with other students, and receiving positive feedback from people like me.

Weekends like this one reinvigorate my passion for education. I found myself making a difference in the area that I love the most. I arrived at the competition at 8am on Saturday and I didn't leave until 8pm. I didn't stop to eat the catered lunch, instead I grabbed a quick snack and pressed the admin table for more competitions that were getting started. I worked non-stop all day, but didn't for a second realize the pace I was moving at, because I enjoyed what I was doing so much.

I remember being in 8th grade and you and me driving back home from the Chevron up the street from Church Ave. I remember telling you that I wanted to be a teacher and you replying that I definately had the personality, etc. for it. I told you that I wondered why most teachers eventually started hating their job, something neither of us had the answer to. You told me to keep my mind open to other opportunities and everything would work out in time.

Everything has worked out very nicely, but I still yearn for opportunities to fulfill that part of me. I'm sure that I will continue to find ways to nourish my passion for education. Who knows whether that will be in the classroom, making policy, or occasional weekend events (like this one). The future is ripe with opportunity and I know that I'll be given chances to seize it.

Power and Partisanship

2006-10-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

"All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." A British historian is credited with this statement.

At class tonight, someone brought up Sheila Sekula-Gibbs' (R) impending loss to Nick Lampson (D) next month. A close friend of mine, who I dare not name here, said that, although he personally despises the woman, will vote for her next month. This same friend confided to me, in his home in the presence of his family, only two months ago that he was definitely going to vote for Lampson. He said that toeing the Ole Republican line was too hard in this race and it was a highly unusual event, but he was going to vote for the democrat.

To his credit, he is a unusually honest human being, and tonight was no different. When I asked him why he had a change a heart, he replied, "for the fear of losing power." He told me that he was afraid that the Republicans were in great jeopardy of losing the House, maybe even the Senate, and he couldn't bring himself to being any part of it.

I can not be critical of this man. In so many ways I am the same man. I have a deep, long-held belief that my party has the best vision for this country's future. I can tell people the old, familiar line, "I vote for the individual", but who the hell would I be kidding? In fact, who the hell is anyone who says that kidding? Its like when someone begins a statement with, "I'm not _______, but..." The blank can be filled with the word racist, sexist, pompous, etc. As soon as someone begins a statement like that, you know that they will end up saying something contrary to that assertion.

For a nation that prides "rugged individualism", we have become unforgiving partisans politically.

Let me reminisce about my own political maturation. In 2000, I was a junior in high school. I was idealistic, as most that age are, and I remember many conversations that began with, "We can change the world by..."

My mom was a democrat and my dad was a republican, though neither voted very often. I guess, in this regard, I was born a mutt.

Finding my own political identity became extremely important to me by the time the DNC and RNC conventions rolled around. Bill Clinton was a hero to me, yet I was also really impressed with the way the Republican Congress kept spending in check. George Bush was very attractive to me because he seemed like a maverick, plus he was the Governor of the Greatest State in the Union. I really admired Al Gore's passion for the environment.

I read atleast five books to help me make a decision about which person to support, really which party to support. I consulted friends, teachers, and family members for advice. I received really great feedback from all sources and I felt like I was left with a painstakingly tough decision.

At the beginning of October I finally made the decision. I decided to be, well this should be obvious, a democrat. I could list some of the reasons why but I shall deny that opportunity, because it would take away from this post.

I should have a damned day to celebrate this decision. I say this, because in essence, I got engaged to the democrat party on that day. On November 7, 2000 we tied the knot. I will celebrate/mourn our relationship's 6th anniversary this November 7.

It amazing to think back to that fateful fall in 2000. I went from being "undecided" to being the most partisan person you could meet. (And I wasn't even old enough to vote!) By November 6th, I was arguing with people for hours about the merit of my party and it's candidates.

On election night, I organized a big party that was held at the Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Daphne, Alabama. I wore a "Gore/Lieberman 2000" t-shirt and had people sign, in permanent marker, every state that Gore won.

I'll never forget driving to the restaurant with a K-car full of people to meet everyone for the celebration. The guy on the radio said that Al Gore won Florida, so I pulled over, jumped out of the car, and began yelling with joy. I had someone jump out and write the state on the back of my shirt.

The rest of the night is, well, history. And, in so many ways, so was my ability to have an honest, personal debate about the merits of each party...

Keith Olberman

2006-10-09T01:16:00.000-05:00

Prop 12 later, Keith Olberman for now. I have been an avid fan of Countdown with Keith Olberman, 7pm MSNBC M-F, since the beginning of college. Here is a transcript from a "special comment" he made last week:

While the leadership in Congress has self-destructed over the revelations of an unmatched, and unrelieved, march through a cesspool ...

While the leadership inside the White House has self-destructed over the revelations of a book with a glowing red cover ...

The president of the United States — unbowed, undeterred and unconnected to reality — has continued his extraordinary trek through our country rooting out the enemies of freedom: the Democrats.

Yesterday at a fundraiser for an Arizona congressman, Mr. Bush claimed, quote, “177 of the opposition party said, ‘You know, we don’t think we ought to be listening to the conversations of terrorists.’”

The hell they did.

One hundred seventy-seven Democrats opposed the president’s seizure of another part of the Constitution.

Not even the White House press office could actually name a single Democrat who had ever said the government shouldn’t be listening to the conversations of terrorists.

President Bush hears what he wants.

Tuesday, at another fundraiser in California, he had said, “Democrats take a law enforcement approach to terrorism. That means America will wait until we’re attacked again before we respond.”

Mr. Bush fabricated that, too.

And evidently he has begun to fancy himself as a mind reader.

“If you listen closely to some of the leaders of the Democratic Party,” the president said at another fundraiser Monday in Nevada, “it sounds like they think the best way to protect the American people is — wait until we’re attacked again.”

The president doesn’t just hear what he wants.

He hears things that only he can hear.

It defies belief that this president and his administration could continue to find new unexplored political gutters into which they could wallow.

Yet they do.

It is startling enough that such things could be said out loud by any president of this nation.

Rhetorically, it is about an inch short of Mr. Bush accusing Democratic leaders, Democrats, the majority of Americans who disagree with his policies of treason.

But it is the context that truly makes the head spin.

Just 25 days ago, on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, this same man spoke to this nation and insisted, “We must put aside our differences and work together to meet the test that history has given us.”

Mr. Bush, this is a test you have already failed.

If your commitment to “put aside differences and work together” is replaced in the span of just three weeks by claiming your political opponents prefer to wait to see this country attacked again, and by spewing fabrications about what they’ve said, then the questions your critics need to be asking are no longer about your policies.

They are, instead, solemn and even terrible questions, about your fitness to fulfill the responsibilities of your office.

No Democrat, sir, has ever said anything approaching the suggestion that the best means of self-defense is to “wait until we’re attacked again.”

No critic, no commentator, no reluctant Republican in the Senate has ever said anything that any responsible person could even have exaggerated into the slander you spoke in Nevada on Monday night, nor the slander you spoke in California on Tuesday, nor the slander you spoke in Arizona on Wednesday ... nor whatever is next.

You have dishonored your party, sir; you have dishonored your supporters; you have dishonored yourself.

But tonight the stark question we must face is — why?

Why has the ferocity of your venom against the Democrats now exceeded the ferocity of your venom against the terrorists?

Why have you chosen to go down in history as the president who made things up?

In less than one month you have gone from a flawed call to unity to this clarion call to hatred of Americans, by Americans.

If this is not simply the most shameless example of the rhetoric of political hackery, then it would have to be the cry of a leader crumbling under the weight of his own lies.

We have, of course, survived all manner of political hackery, of every shape, size and party. We will have to suffer it, for as long as the Republic stands.

But the premise of a president who comes across as a compulsive liar is nothing less than terrifying.

A president who since 9/11 will not listen, is not listening — and thanks to Bob Woodward’s most recent account — evidently has never listened.

A president who since 9/11 so hates or fears other Americans that he accuses them of advocating deliberate inaction in the face of the enemy.

A president who since 9/11 has savaged the very freedoms he claims to be protecting from attack — attack by terrorists, or by Democrats, or by both — it is now impossible to find a consistent thread of logic as to who Mr. Bush believes the enemy is.

But if we know one thing for certain about Mr. Bush, it is this: This president — in his bullying of the Senate last month and in his slandering of the Democrats this month — has shown us that he believes whoever the enemies are, they are hiding themselves inside a dangerous cloak called the Constitution of the United States of America.

How often do we find priceless truth in the unlikeliest of places?

I tonight quote not Jefferson nor Voltaire, but Cigar Aficionado Magazine.

On Sept. 11th, 2003, the editor of that publication interviewed General Tommy Franks, at that point, just retired from his post as commander-in-chief of U.S. Central Command — of Cent-Com.

And amid his quaint defenses of the then-nagging absence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, or the continuing freedom of Osama bin Laden, General Franks said some of the most profound words of this generation.

He spoke of “the worst thing that can happen” to this country:

First, quoting, a “massive casualty-producing event somewhere in the Western World — it may be in the United States of America.”

Then, the general continued, “the Western World, the free world, loses what it cherishes most, and that is freedom and liberty we’ve seen for a couple of hundred years, in this grand experiment that we call democracy.”

It was this super-patriotic warrior’s fear that we would lose that most cherished liberty, because of another attack, one — again quoting General Franks — “that causes our population to question our own Constitution and to begin to militarize our country in order to avoid a repeat of another mass-casualty-producing event. Which, in fact, then begins to potentially unravel the fabric of our Constitution.”

And here we are, the fabric of our Constitution being unraveled, anyway.

Habeus corpus neutered; the rights of self-defense now as malleable and impermanent as clay; a president stifling all critics by every means available and, when he runs out of those, by simply lying about what they said or felt.

And all this, even without the dreaded attack.

General Franks, like all of us, loves this country, and believes not just in its values, but in its continuity.

He has been trained to look for threats to that continuity from without.

He has, perhaps been as naïve as the rest of us, in failing to keep close enough vigil on the threats to that continuity from within.

Secretary of State Rice first cannot remember urgent cautionary meetings with counterterrorism officials before 9/11. Then within hours of this lie, her spokesman confirms the meetings in question. Then she dismisses those meetings as nothing new — yet insists she wanted the same cautions expressed to Secretaries Ashcroft and Rumsfeld.

Mr. Rumsfeld, meantime, has been unable to accept the most logical and simple influence of the most noble and neutral of advisers. He and his employer insist they rely on the “generals in the field.” But dozens of those generals have now come forward to say how their words, their experiences, have been ignored.

And, of course, inherent in the Pentagon’s war-making functions is the regulation of presidential war lust.

Enacting that regulation should include everything up to symbolically wrestling the Chief Executive to the floor.

Yet—and it is Pentagon transcripts that now tell us this—evidently Mr. Rumsfeld’s strongest check on Mr. Bush’s ambitions, was to get somebody to excise the phrase “Mission Accomplished” out of the infamous Air Force Carrier speech of May 1st, 2003, even while the same empty words hung on a banner over the President’s shoulder.

And the vice president is a chilling figure, still unable, it seems, to accept the conclusions of his own party’s leaders in the Senate, that the foundations of his public position, are made out of sand.

There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

But he still says so.

There was no link between Saddam Hussein and al Qaida.

But he still says so.

And thus, gripping firmly these figments of his own imagination, Mr. Cheney lives on, in defiance, and spreads—around him and before him—darkness, like some contagion of fear.

They are never wrong, and they never regret -- admirable in a French torch singer, cataclysmic in an American leader.

Thus, the sickening attempt to blame the Foley scandal on the negligence of others or “the Clinton era”—even though the Foley scandal began before the Lewinsky scandal.

Thus, last month’s enraged attacks on this administration’s predecessors, about Osama bin Laden—a projection of their own negligence in the immediate months before 9/11.

Thus, the terrifying attempt to hamstring the fundament of our freedom—the Constitution—a triumph for al Qaida, for which the terrorists could not hope to achieve with a hundred 9/11’s.

And thus, worst of all perhaps, these newest lies by President Bush about Democrats choosing to await another attack and not listen to the conversations of terrorists.

It is the terror and the guilt within your own heart, Mr. Bush, that you redirect at others who simply wish for you to temper your certainty with counsel.

It is the failure and the incompetence within your own memory, Mr. Bush, that leads you to demonize those who might merely quote to you the pleadings of Oliver Cromwell: “I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.”

It is not the Democrats whose inaction in the face of the enemy you fear, Sir.

It is your own—before 9/11 - and (and you alone know this), perhaps afterwards.

Mr. President, these new lies go to the heart of what it is that you truly wish to preserve.

It is not our freedom, nor our country—your actions against the Constitution give irrefutable proof of that.

You want to preserve a political party’s power. And obviously you’ll sell this country out, to do it.

These are lies about the Democrats -- piled atop lies about Iraq -- which were piled atop lies about your preparations for al Qaida.

To you, perhaps, they feel like the weight of a million centuries -- as crushing, as immovable.

They are not.

If you add more lies to them, you cannot free yourself, and us, from them.

But if you stop -- if you stop fabricating quotes, and building straw-men, and inspiring those around you to do the same -- you may yet liberate yourself and this nation.

Please, sir, do not throw this country’s principles away because your lies have made it such that you can no longer differentiate between the terrorists and the critics.

Proposition 12

2006-10-04T01:40:00.000-05:00

I spent a few days at my great-grandmother's house last December. She is definately one of the most wonderful women I've ever been privelaged to know. Many of my Baylor friends and a few of my Alabama friends have had the unforgetable experience of eating a meal at Granny Smith's house. I shall recount one such time, before I discuss Texas tort reform.

My life-long best friend, Blake Perry, has come to Texas three times with me. A few weeks ago he recounted one trip. He said, "I remember the first time I spent the night at Granny Smith's. She woke us up at 8:30 in the morning. When we sat down in the kitchen, Granny Smith brought out no less than 15 pieces of bacon, 4 eggs a piece, and half of a loaf of toasted bread with butter on it. What was amazing was when Granny Smith scolded us for not being able to finish our food. It was almost as if she was trying to kill us, considering she wouldn't even eat her own food because she preferred a bowl of oatmeal."

They say that Baylor Law School is "where fun goes to die." Granny Smith's is "where good health goes to die." And, finally, the Texas Supreme Court is "where consumers go to lose." (Insurance companies prevailed 87% of the time during the last term here.)

I am really tired and I think I will save my dicussion of PROP 12 tomorrow.

Politcal Bombs

2006-10-02T00:55:00.000-05:00

"HurricaneAndrew drops political theory like bombs over Baghdad and it's just great."

Its quite fitting that SAQ104 made mention of my political rantings a few days ago. I have been planning a long overdue political entry, so here it is:

Last week, President Bush called democrats a party of "cut and run." He did so in reference to our Iraq War strategy. I heard one pundit state this was the first time Bush actually used this phraseology. His republican cohorts reitered this mantra daily in the 2004 election cycle, but I suppose he avoided for desire of appearing presidential.

I have something to say about this whole "cut and run" assessment of the party...

YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT, Mr. President

This war has caused me great anquish since its inception. I initially found myself torn between not wanting to be a coward, who would avoid military action at all cost, and being true to my values that war was not an answer, especially this war.

With a brother in the Army and a father in the Navy, the a decision to go to war was very personal to me. Neither was likely to enter conflict, and neither has, but I still considered the stakes to be great for my family.

The stakes were much greater for the country as a whole. 2,711 men have lost their lives and almost 20,000 have been injured in this great gamble for Middle East stability.

Some, including the President, say that we should not let these deaths be in vain. This is an easy argument, and one that resonates with many, but I ask about all the men and women who will follow. If "cutting and running" means that we don't have anymore flag-drapped coffins, then count me as a supporter of this withdrawel strategy.

I will not pose questions as to why, or how, we went to war; however, I wish to address what we should do now.

The following was published in the Washington Post last week: According to Woodward, Bush was absolutely certain he was on the right course on Iraq. The writer said that when Bush invited key Republicans to the White House to discuss Iraq, the president told them, 'I will not withdraw even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me,"' referring to his wife and Scottish terrier.

When I read this excerpt I remember something I read in a management book during my undergraduate studies. I remember reading about how one of the reasons President Kennedy was such an effective reader was his assignment of one or two dissenters for each cabinent meeting. Apparently he would assign people to disagree with every conclusion that the majority presented and outline the best reasons in opposition.

This President has a contempt for disagreement, demonstrated by Colin Powell's acknowledgement this week that he was, indeed, fired from his job in the Administration. Woodward's book also notes that President Bush has sought the counsel of Henry Kissinger, famous for saying that this country's lack of will caused our defeat in Vietnam.

President Bush has a knack for padding himself with people who agree with his ideology and, it seems, never seeks alternate views concerning major issues. His Adminstration is a "who's who" of war-hawks and neo-conservatives. A consideration of this offers great insight into the path this Adminstration has pursued.

His quote about Laura and Barney further exemplifies his commitmant to preface any meetings with the assertion that it is "his way or the highway." If a group of prominent lawyers were invited to discuss an important issue in the field, but were told that the invitor believed that his theory was right, even if only his wife and dog supported it, they would have no reason to show up. Any counter-views or dissent would effectively be quashed.

I am astonished than a mere mortal would assert his view about a war as unshakable and something that need not be questioned.

I think it would be to the great benefit of the country, the President, and even his party if a few "cut and run" democrats were invited to the White House to discuss this issue. What does the President have to lose by offering such an invitation? Nothing. What does the country have to lose if he doesn't? More lives, more money, and more respect from the world.

(If anyone in the White House, which is notorious for not reading the news or anything of the like, reads this blog I would like to state my lack of a job, great general knowledge of this subject, and generally corteous demeanor as reasons to invite this "cut and run" democrat.)

The Great Escape

2006-09-28T22:08:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a lot lately, mostly magazine and online articles. However, I also read The Ape in the Corner Office last weekend. Not a bad book but it was a little too business for my tastes (this coming from a guy who received a Bachelor of Business Adminstration less than a year ago). Last night I started Eats, Shoots and Leaves, which has been all the rave for English enthusiasts. Anyone who has read much of my blog knows that this is a book that I should read and implement as soon as possible.

Rest In Peace

2006-09-21T14:34:00.000-05:00

Update: Ted's ship sailed away yesterday afternoon.

I will be out of town until Tuesday attending his funeral.

There is no Death

2006-09-20T11:15:00.000-05:00

I am standing on the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until at length she is a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, "There! She's gone!" Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and she is just as able to bear her load of living weight to her destined harbor.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, There! She's gone! there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "There she comes!"

And that is dying.

-- Henry Jackson van Dyke

---------------------------------

This is a short but deeply personal entry. I spent this weekend caring from my grandfather who is in the last days of his life. I talked to him on the phone two weeks ago and, though his body was becoming increasingly immobile, his mind was still very capable.

When I arrived at his residence last Friday evening everything had changed. Ted was muttering German and his mind surfaced to reality only occasionally and only momentarily. It pained me greatly to see a man who had worked with his hands and body all of his life and who had been in WWII, now succumbed to a non-functioning vehicle that is his body.

I spent the entire weekeend helping my grandmother care for Ted. One night I volunteered to take the over-night watch. I sat next to Ted's bed ensuring that his involuntary movements didn't cause him to roll off and also kept his mouth swabbed, etc. My thoughts kept returning to my own mortality and what I wanted to accomplish before I was in Ted's position. I kept trying to convince myself that I was still young and that the thoughts were premature. When I returned to Houston I bought the new John Mayer CD and one song struck my emotions hard. The lyrics are almost exactly what went through my head this weekend.

"So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
To find a way to say that life has just begun."

J. Sanders

2006-09-14T00:54:00.000-05:00

Tonight I found a new blog that Professor Torts contributes to. I have linked it on the side.

A Great Texan Died Today

2006-09-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

A fellow Baylor alum and former governor of Texas, Ann Richards, passed away today.

Wikipedia: Ann Richards

Let Us Also Remember

2006-09-13T13:32:00.000-05:00

During this week of rememberance and reflection on the horrible events of five years ago, let us also remember those who died in a Alabama church house blast 33 years ago. On September 15, 1963 the 16th Street Baptist Church in Alabama was struck by the terrorism of white supremicists. This blast, which killed four little girls and injured 22 people, followed a sermon entitled "The Love that Forgives." The only window that survived the blast was one of Jesus leading a group of children.

While one of the bombers was convicted in 1977, it was not until the year 2000 that charges were brought against two others involved in the bombing. Each were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Proverbs

2006-09-12T13:33:00.000-05:00

This morning I received a mass email from a friend who is working for a micro-finance (a la Grameen Bank) mission group in China. I found the translation of Proverbs 30:7-9, which she included, very intriguing and looked it up on an online database that offers all the different translations.

For the hell of it, I decided to read Proverbs 31 too. I really like what I found.

8 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.

9 Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy." (NIV)

More About Facebook

2006-09-07T09:37:00.000-05:00

I Refer to my statement yesterday: "Facebook has evolved into this social encyclopedia where you can go and look up someone and learn anything about them."

Interestingly, in a Time article, the Facebook founder contrasted the new Facebook as not being just an encylcopedia anymore, but actually being news. I guess he reads my blog and wanted to clear that up.

For Zuckerberg, the News Feed allows Facebook users to better keep up with each other. "All the most interesting stuff that's going on is presented to you," Zuckerberg told TIME recently. "The analogy would be instead of an encyclopedia, it's now news. We're emphasizing what's going on now."

Source: Time Online

SAQ104 ran with this topic a bit, too.

I know what you are doing right now...

2006-09-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine told me to log onto Facebook and check out the changes to it. Let me preface this by saying that I have never fallen captive to the chains of compulsive facebook usage. I sign on every week or two and am content just checking my messages and wall. However, I know many people that check their Facebook account more often than their email and spend considerable time fooling around on the site.

So I logged in this morning and the homepage (the one the greats you after you login) has completely changed. Now, in addition to notifying me of new messages or friend requests, the homepage tells me every miniscule detail of my friends' lives that they have changed on their "profile" or calender.

The following is an excerpt of what I learned:
*Jorge G. no longer considers Million Dollar Baby as a favorite movie.
*Morgan T. is attending VooDoo Fest in New Orleans
*Jennifer M. and Sadaris W. ended their relationship at 2:12am
(this one shocked the hell out of me and I guess I need to make a phone call later today)
*Seth B. is attending UF grad school
*Angie C. is currently in class "playing on facebook"
*Jonathan Walker added "Donnie Brasco...Mafia movies" to his favorite movies

This is a small sampling of what I read. I suspect that as people realize that their every action on this website is relayed to all their friends they will actually start "facebooking" more. People will begin using the calender and other options more so that they will look busy, popular, etc. I mean isn't that what Facebook is banking on with this change?

While I am on this topic, I must recount a story from my years at Baylor. I had friend who would investigate every girl he was ever interested in on Facebook. He would learn everything about them that he could and would use that information to aid him in the pursuit of the girl. Some of you might think this is crazy, but I'm damned certain that most of the girls were doing the same thing. Facebook has evolved into this social encyclopedia where you can go and look up someone and learn anything about them. You can go and look up an interest, such as "Barack Oboma for President", and join a group of like-minded people.

In no time I will know exactly what each of you are doing right now...

Or maybe, just maybe, some of you will keep atleast a little of your life personal. I don't know about you but I don't run to Facebook everytime something exciting/interesting happens to me...Oh wait, I run to my blog.

Damn, I guess you know exactly what I'm doing right now.

3 credit hours closer...

2006-08-11T09:38:00.000-05:00

Criminal Law is done and Torts and LARC are now king.

Note to self: Next time -- don't eat wings and cheddar fries right before the final without taking a zantac75 or another anti-acid.

A few thoughts

2006-08-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

First, a la SAQ and other Xanga bloggers, I am listening to Ben Harper: Both Sides of the Gun and I am also going to use dashes to separate a few thoughts.

----

Also, I would like to offer the link of another great blogger. Luke Gilman has a "helluva" (please contrast that word's use here from President Bush saying that Michael Brown was doing a "helluva" job after Hurricane Katrina) blog and I look forward to reading more of his and SAQ's blogs over our break from law school.

----

One of the many great things about being in the part-time program is forging relationships with people older and wiser than myself. Almost everyday I hear a story from atleast one of my friends in class who is having problems with their spouse or kids. Their experiences are especially rewarding for me because I gain so much insight into parenting and marriage.

----

Our CrimLaw final is on Thursday. I must admit that tonight will be my first attempt at bona fide studying. However, I will also say that I have delayed this so long because of my insane studying regimen. Once I start (in appx. 15 mins) I will take very few breaks for sleeping, eating, drinking (beer), or socializing in the next 3 days. Last semester, when studying for CivPro, I amassed no more than 12 hours of sleep in the 3 days before the final night before the test. I hope to give an equally productive effort this time around but this class doesn't inspire as much motivation in me.

To my classmates: Good luck and have faith in yourself. Confidence goes a long way in law school and life...Seeing yourself doing well on the test before the test will help tremendously.

UH Classmates

2006-08-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

I have added a great link to my page which is listed first as "UH Classmate." The author of this blog is a charismatic, eccentric character who was ballsy enough to wear a shirt that said "Nice Torts Baby" at orientation. He has never let me down except when he told a fellow student that I started "Karl Rove" as a nickname for him. I guess Shannon knew what he was doing all along by telling him, because said student regarded it as a badge of honor.

This offers a great segue (segway was my original spelling until I found this) for me to write about how much I enjoy my classmates. I could not have asked for a better group of people to spend so much time with. We have a dynamic group with great chemistry. Most all of us enjoy a cold brew after a long day, a short day, or a holiday, which goes a long way when forging friendships and surviving law school. I would love to continue with the accolades but I must study (and by study I mean study the job market) so this will have to suffice for now.

Grades

2006-07-29T23:07:00.000-05:00

Grades were posted last night. I'm happy.

CivPro Grade

2006-07-27T13:52:00.000-05:00

It has been 26 days since my CivPro exam and I still havn't rec'd my grade. I understand that this is typical but it still drives me crazy.

My Changes

2006-07-20T01:34:00.000-05:00

The Tom Brokaw special on the Discovery Channel and other things I have watched and read have led me to explore my own impact on the environment. I drive a Saturn that gets 39 m.p.g. highway and 33 m.p.g. city, but I still feel like I should do more.

So, today I bought 7 year lightbulbs that cut energy usage by 70-80% and I bought a plant to put on Danae's porch to help offset my CO2 omissions. I know this isn't much, but it is a start. I will update on my future progress in this area.

Good night.

Tom Brokaw

2006-07-17T23:49:00.000-05:00

I watched the Discovery Channel special about global warming that was narrated by Tom Brokaw yesterday. It was a great documentary and I highly suggest it to anyone. I wish the people of this country would start giving a damn about this topic...

Armed Forces

2006-07-13T01:42:00.000-05:00

I could not be more proud to have two immediate family members in the United States Armed Forces. My brother is in the U.S. Army and will soon be working at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. My step-father is in the U.S. Navy and serves on a ship that patrols the waters of South America.

I love both of them dearly and am glad that God's graces has kept them out of harm's way. However, I know that at any given moment they could be called to our missions in the Middle-East. Please support our troops in any way that you can because they are working on the behalf of all of us and we should be extremely proud of them.

Southern Illinois School of Law

2006-07-12T23:42:00.000-05:00

Found a great article about a group of Christian law students suing their law school for not allowing their Christian group to be an official organization at the law school. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the group saying that the law school failed to demonstrate how the group broke any federal or state laws. I just think it is hilarious that a group of students sued their law school.

Source: First Amendment Center

House deals with online gambling

2006-07-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier today the House of Representatives (MSNBC article) voted 317-93 to ban the use of gambling websites, like PartyPoker, in the United States. The bill allows the following exceptions: lotteries and horse racing.

I have a unique prospective on this issue because I am a reformed PartyPoker player. At my peak, earlier this year, I played 30-50 hours in any given week. I may have made considerable income from the endeavor, though I do not wish to specifically discuss any income because of potential consequences involving the IRS. However, I ended my play on the website primarily for two reasons.

(1) At the end of the day I felt like I was adding no value to the world. Sounds a bit overkill considering I was only doing it in a transitory period before beginning law school, but its the truth.

(2) I hated playing. When you play a game like Limit Texas Hold-em all day, everyday you get very tired of it. In addition, as is the case in any game that involves an element of luck, no matter how good someone is they will often have a poor outcome on a given occasion. Sure it evens out over time and one will always end ahead in any considerable time period when he is a skilled player, but it still imposes great stress upon the player.

I have not played on PartyPoker since sometime in late March. I have been tempted to play on a few occasions when boredom and/or a need for some cash set in. However, I havn't played because I assured my fiance that I wouldn't. She was never mad that I played, just seemed quite happy when I quit and I didn't mind telling her that I wouldn't do it anymore when it was my idea (and not instigated by her).

Back to the Bill

You might think I would have strong feelings against this bill (four months ago I damn sure did), however I have very mixed feelings about it. As a matter of government intrusion into people's personal lives, I am against this bill as a matter of principle. I don't think the government should regulate the marijuana you smoke in your house, the sexual acts you engage in your house, the "booze" you drink in your house, or (???) the poker you play in your house.

Okay, so obviously there is a problem with that line of reasoning. The government isn't regulating gambling with family or friends in our houses, instead they are regulating our commerce with off-shore and Canadian (PartyPoker's home) companies.

So maybe the government does have a legitimate interest in regulating this business. However, why don't they regulate it instead of abolishing it? You could say that the federal government sees a important moral aspect to the issue. I heard one of the congressmen say, "It adds no value to society." Yeah, well what value does horse racing and lotteries add? I guess that is my biggest problem with this bill. It chooses favorites in the gambling industry which doesn't make any sense to me.

If you choose to view this as a moral issue and you are only looking at the types of gaming that the bill makes illegal online in the United States, then consider how effective it is in accomplishing it's moral agenda. The legislators talked a lot about people losing their retirement gambling online but I wonder if these people (already acting completely irrational) will discontinue their gambling online just because it illegal. I believe that the occasional, recreational players will quit playing in order to conform with law, but not the people that the law really intends to prevent from losing their life possessions. In addition, can't these people just go to a casino and lose it all there?

Anyone have any thoughts on this legislation? I havn't really discussed any political ramifications, mainly because the vote was so overwhelming one-sided, but that is free for debate too.

Some of my views, as expressed to a friend

2006-07-10T12:33:00.000-05:00

III. In response to your instant message or email two or three weeks ago, I would like to first tell you my personal view on major issues and identify the party that most fits with each. I want to do this to show you much of a republican this democrat is and how I stand in a sad place with no accurate representation by either party.

a. Immigration

i. Amnesty: I agree most closely with the President’s plan on this issue. In the Congress, I identify most closely with the McCain/Kennedy Amendment. I believe that the illegal immigrants that are already in the country should stay for the following reasons:
1. Logistical difficulty/impossibility of transferring them back to Mexico
2. Importance to the United States economy
3. My general feeling that the United States brain drains so much of the world, i.e. stealing doctors from Africa and engineers from Asia, and should also bear some of the burden of the world’s needy when we take so much away from them by stealing their best and brightest (if you are doctor in Mexico, you have no problem getting US citizenship, if you are an un-skilled immigrant then you will never get full citizenship).

ii. Border Security: Although it may seem somewhat inconsistent with my views above, I am completely for strengthening the border using whatever means necessary.
1. If we continue to allow illegal-immigrants to move here with little difficulty, we will continue to see a Balkanization of the United States.
2. Houston, along with many other cities in the western US, has communities that don’t speak English and don’t have a strong level of inclusion in United States politics, education, etc.

b. Free Trade/Outsourcing
i. I am generally for the free exchange of goods globally and the outsourcing of US jobs.
1. This view is very consistent with Republican ideology.
ii. However, I see the people in places like Ohio and Michigan as real people who are losing real jobs, ones that allowed them to support their families and send the kids to college. So, I believe that if we are going to liberalize trade, which benefits society as a whole, then we should also compensate the losers in society who worked the old jobs by allowing them to get re-trained and re-tooled for our new economy (paying for their education and helping them support their family during the process).
1. This is very consistent with the President Clinton view; hopefully more democrats will begin to adopt it instead of acting like we can stop globalization.

c. Free Speech
i. I am for people having the right to burn a flag (democrat), for people being able to protest right outside the property of an abortion clinic (republican), for the right to a moment of silence in public school (kind of both)
*I have now started on a Samuel Adams Brown Ale and it is delicious. Really a good libation.

d. Gay Marriage
i. As our friend Kinky Friedman says, “they have the right to be just as miserable as the rest of us.”
1. I agree, I mean why the hell would we deny someone the right to equal protection under marriage laws (wills, divorce, etc)?
2. I do respect, though disagree, with the argument that more kids will start growing up in “gay” homes.
B. Just because gays can’t marry doesn’t mean that they aren’t adopting and raising kids. Why not legitimize it?

e. Abortion
i. The ole’ cliché: I wouldn’t have one myself, but I reserve the right for another to have one (democrat).
1. Prior to Roe v. Wade, overdosing on cocaine and the use of metal hangers were among the most prevalent ways of having an abortion. Why the hell do people thing that abortions will cease when the clinics don’t facilitate it?
2. The overwhelming view of the medical community is to preserve this right and I respect them greatly.
3. I don’t believe the religious beliefs of some should impose undue burdens on others.

f. Minimum Wage
i. I must go against many of my economist brethren on this one. I believe that the minimum wage in a society as prosperous as ours should at least allow one to have a shelter, food, and sense of independence (that our social programs steal from so many who make $5-6/hour)
ii. When people are forced with the opportunity of either not working and living off the government or working for minimum wage, we should rationally expect them to choose the first. In addition, the extremely poor minimum wage encourages people to resort to violence and gang-activities instead of making an honest living.

2008

2006-07-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

I know its early, but who cares. I am going to support John Edwards as the democrat candidate for 2008. I have decided against supporting Bayh, Warner, Clinton, Kerry, Biden, or any other conceivable democrat candidate that may run against him. In 1999, I supported Bill Bradley but was happy to work for Gore after he took the nomination. In 2003, I pledged my support to a Vietnam veteran from Massachusetts who I believed was "electable" (which was more important to me than anything else).

For this election, I don't care who the favorite is or who the most electable person is. I'm going to support the person who I identify the most with. John Edwards fights fervently for the poor, was a great lawyer, and is a Southerner. More important than any of that, though, he seems sincere.

Interesting section of a New Yorker article

2006-07-08T23:10:00.000-05:00

As Smith explored one issue after another with the evangelicals—gender equality, education, pluralism, and politics—he found the same scattershot pattern. The Republican Party may have been adept at winning the support of evangelical voters, but that affinity appears to be as much cultural as anything; the Party has learned to speak the evangelical language. Scratch the surface, and the appearance of homogeneity and ideological consistency disappears. Evangelicals want children to have the right to pray in school, for example, and they vote for conservative Republicans who support that right. But what do they mean by prayer? The New Testament's most left-liberal text, the Lord's Prayer—which, it should be pointed out, begins with a call for utopian social restructuring ("Thy will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven"), then welfare relief ("Give us this day our daily bread"), and then income redistribution ("Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors").

Drops of ...

2006-07-08T01:44:00.000-05:00

Tell me, did the wind finally sweep you off your feet?

CivPro

2006-06-24T02:23:00.000-05:00

Because my CivPro final is 7 days and 8 hours away I will not be doing any blogging in the next week. Hope everyone else's week goes well. Later, Andrew

Book of Poetry

2006-06-20T01:02:00.000-05:00

"A Short History Of Someone Who Failed To Get Into The Champagne Unit of The Texas Air National Guard In 1958."

Historians may not recall
My name, now chiseled on that wall.
Still, they might say I played a role
By going on that last patrol
And not returning to my base:
I might have died in Bush's place

Source: A Heckuva Job (Calvin Trillin)

Mark Cuban

2006-06-19T23:01:00.000-05:00

Last night in the locker room after we lost in overtime to the heat. I was asked by reporters to answer some questions. I told them i would if they asked good questions and didnt ask the same cliche’d questions they had asked after other games. It was interesting how quiet everyone got.

then someone asked “Is this your worst loss ever” . What the f*** kind of question is that ? Is this for a VH1 special ? “Worst Losses Ever ?” If it was, then maybe it was a decent question. Otherwise, how do you answer that question…

Source: Mark Cuban's Blog

Flooding

2006-06-19T17:22:00.000-05:00

Source: Reuters

When I posted last night about the constant raining, I had no idea that I would wake up and turn on MSNBC to learn that half of Houston was flooded, as well as Beaumont and part of Louisiana.

We have no class today, which is probably a bad thing. I believe this means that we will have class on Friday night to replace the day. Not a very good trade-off, especially considering that this weekend is the last before the final.

H-town

2006-06-19T02:54:00.000-05:00

I swear it has rained almost everyday that I've been here. Is it always like this?

Basketball at UH and Basketball at American Airlines in Miami

2006-06-19T00:30:00.000-05:00

I had a great afternoon today. After doing some more outlining, I went to the UH Wellness Center and played some basketball. I got on a court by myself and practiced shooting. I was wearing khaki shorts and wasn't prepared at all to play full-court basketball. Someone from another court looked over and said his team was one person short and asked me if I wanted to play.

I was the only white guy on the floor and probably the shortiest too. I set picks, got a few rebounds, and passed off the ball during the first 30 minutes of the game. I didn't take any shots and made sure I played my role as someone to hussle but not take any unneccesary shots.

Finally, the game was tied 13-13 (2 pt baskets count for 1 and 3pters count for 2, for those of you unfamiliar with street ball) and I got the ball about 2 feet beyond the three point line. I didn't even think. I held the ball up and shot it, even as someone was lunging toward me. Nothing but net! My team won and I can't think of a greater moment in recent memory (well, except getting engaged).

I was very pumped up for the Mavs game tonight. The Mavs played one hell of a game. I am irate about the officiating crew tonight, though. How the hell does one player on the Heat (Dwayne Wade) get more free throw shots than a whole team (Dallas) when both are playing the same on defense? Dirk was pushed and shoved around on the other side of the court and he got very few calls. I'm pissed, very pissed. However, Dallas will win this series -- count on that. Peace out for now, Andrew

Texas Ranchers

2006-06-17T18:58:00.000-05:00

I have linked an article, below, that describes some Texas ranchers who are putting ladders on their fences so that illegal immigrants don't destroy their fences when coming over. Pretty funny stuff, who can really blame them for regarding their own self-interest?

Texas ranchers add ladders to border fences

Outlining

2006-06-17T16:58:00.000-05:00

Outlining Civil Procedure on a nice Saturday afternoon isn't really as fun as I hoped it would be.

Great thing about being a lawyer

2006-06-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

Pro CivPro, in an effort to ease our anxiety about the complexity of the week's material, made the statement tonight that, "the great thing about our business is that when there is a question to be resolved three lawyers get paid- the lawyer for each side and a lawyer (judge) to decide the case."

Judgment Affirmed

Professor CivPro

2006-06-12T23:12:00.000-05:00

During a class last week, we were discussing state citizenship issues. Professor CivPro said, "Sixteen years ago I was making an honest living in New York practicing law. The dean of the University of Houston Law Center called me and offered me a job as a professor. In a moment of weakness I accepted and have since devoted my life to charity."

Pretty funny guy. I'm glad we have him at UHLC.

Gay Marriage?

2006-06-05T23:15:00.000-05:00

Can anyone really have an doubt as to why the gay marriage debate was re-ignited by the White House this week? Interesting section of article below:

NEW YORK, June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- One old friend of President Bush says that gay marriage barely registers on the president's moral radar, despite the fact that he publicly embraces an amendment banning gay marriage and that many credit this issue with propelling him to a second term. "I think it was purely political," the friend tells Newsweek in the June 12 issue (on newsstands Monday, June 5). "I don't think he gives a s--t about it. He never talks about this stuff."

Source: Yahoo News Article

Tonight's class

2006-06-05T22:07:00.000-05:00

Let me preface my favorite quote from tonight's class by saying that this case, Schlagenhauf v. Holder for those interested, involved five parties who were each sued and all but one countersued another party involved in the case. I should also say that Pro CivPro loves to ask what each party's mission in life is at the beginning of most cases.

Prof CivPro: "How would you describe their mission in life?"
Student: "To make this case difficult."

Judgement Affirmed.

The O'Reilly Fiction

2006-06-03T23:33:00.000-05:00

Bill O’Reilly’s utter disregard for the truth was again on display this week. Mr. O’Reilly’s contempt for intellectual discourse and honest journalism was displayed in his unapologetic effort to again claim that U.S. soldiers committed war atrocities during World War II in Malmedy. Mr. O’Reilly made this mistake the first time during October of last year and his sensationalistic brand of news delivery saw no consequence in making this horrible factual error again.

The 80 American soldiers who were killed execution style in Malmedy, and their families, do not deserve this pseudo-patriot ranting about the atrocities of that horrid day. A day which Americans, who had surrendered, were killed in cold blood by SS soldiers. This journalist bends history and truth in whatever way necessary for ratings. He was arguing four-star retired General Wesley Clark about valor and patiotism, two things Mr. O’Reilly so clearly lacks.

Then, as insult to injury, O’Reilly does not apologize to these families or clear the record. Instead, Fox News scrubs the transcript of the show (as shown below), until the mainstream media (namely Keith Olberman) lashed out against Fox for it.

O'REILLY: And in Malmedy, as you know, U.S. forces captured S.S. forces, who had their hands in the air. And they were unarmed. And they shot them down. You know that. That's on the record. Been documented.
(source: Fox News on June 3, 2006)

O'REILLY: And in Normandy, as you know, U.S. forces captured S.S. forces, who had their hands in the air. And they were unarmed. And they shot them down. You know that. That's on the record. Been documented.
(source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,197635,00.html on June 01, 2006)

In June of 2006, O'Reilly caused controversy when he accused American soldiers of committing the WWII Belgium Malmedy massacre when discussing the recent firestorm over the alleged Haditha massacre.[41] This is the second time that O'Reilly had made the same false accusation, and the Fox News Channel allegedly edited the transcript to cover up the fact that O'Reilly had made the same mistake twice.
(source: Wikipedia Article )

Go Mavs!

2006-06-03T22:30:00.000-05:00

Avery Johnson, aka Lil General, is my hero. Go Mavs against the Heat.

Thursday's Class

2006-06-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

My favorite quote from class on Thursday:

"Yes, you are right, you can't cheat on your wife with yourself. However, I don't think that is what the judge was getting at."

Professor CivPro responding to a student's comment

"Are you lying, Mr. Smith"

2006-06-01T22:30:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday was the first real day of class. It turned out to be very real for me.
I arrived to class early and reviewed some of the material, but mostly talked to my classmates about our fear of being called on in class. My mom and I had joked around that I would be called on the first day and our conversation lingered in my psyche.

Professor CivPro walked to the front of the classroom, looked down at our seat assignments and said, "Smith, Mr. Smith." My worst fear was confirmed when he began walking toward me and I was the chosen one out of 72 students. His first question was easy, "Who was the plaintiff in our case?" I felt confident after this question, but that confidence was passing. His questions progressed in difficulty and my responses were insufficient at times, mostly because he wouldn't accept my answers for face value. He wanted to know my "basis" for saying everything. When I couldn't find the applicable rule or statue in our rulebook, he would tell me that "we aren't at church, Mr. Smith" or "are you lying, Mr. Smith."

My classmates were very nice to me at the first break. Everyone said that I did a really good job, which I think may be somewhat true but some of the compliments were due to sympathy that I had to go first. The break came at 655, which was the end of my testimony that began at 6pm. The good news is that I will likely not have to go again for the rest of the semester.

Very Interesting Article about the Law Center

2006-05-31T16:09:00.000-05:00

Houston Chronicle

And so it begins...

2006-05-31T13:27:00.000-05:00

Last night was my first night of class. Somehow I made it to class with two minutes to spare after traveling from Alabama to Katy and then back to the UH campus to unload my belongings into this tiny room I now call "home." To complicate matters greatly I did not know my classroom number and online services was down at 5:45, when I tried to access it. I managed to remember someone saying class would be in the same room as orientation and I was able to find that room at 5:58. Professor CivPro did not enter until 6:01 so all was well.

Professor CivPro surprised everyone by saying that we wouldn't really be having class last night, which he credited to his sickness and some students receiving the wrong assignment. The sense of relief that passed over the class was quickly tainted by the consequence of our twenty-four hour pardon. Because we didn't cover material yesterday, we will not be able to skip the last day of class to study for the final per the professor's usual schedule.

Class would have ended at 7 when the Professor CivPro ended his lecture on class procedure and suggested studying habits, however my classmates came up with enough questions to fill up another three-quarters of an hour. I loved the way Prof CivPro knocked down many of the questions as things he had "already discussed." I did not find a single question to be helpful and am ready to strangle a few of my peers.

I spent a total of three or fours hours preparing for yesterday, but I am going to up the ante a little bit after Professor CivPro's passionate suggestion that we spend 2-3 hours of study time for every 1 hour of class. I am skeptical whether 6-9 hours is really needed everyday, but I feel like I should give the material a few more solid hours to be safe for tonight's class.

First Post

2006-02-28T18:52:00.000-06:00

This, my first post, comes after my first visit to the University of Houston Law Center, which I will be attending beginning May 30. That is my start date because I applied as a part-time student (you can not apply to both PT and FT), which seemed to be an easier way to get admitted. After seeing last year's admitted class profile for both part-time and full-time, it seems as if they are equally difficult to get into. However, I do not regret this decision, instead I believe it will allow me to ease into the law school life. I will take 6 hours this summer and 7 hours in the fall.

I will write about my visit to the Law Center soon.