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On My Curmudgeonliness

Rants:
C'mon, people, it's the first day. PREPARE FOR CLASS. If you'd done the homework, you'd be able to answer Prof. Zlotnick's questions without those gaping minutes of silence, and we wouldn't be a lesson behind already. Once again, it's the first day of class--the stuff he was asking was not that difficult. In fact, it was simple and straightforward. Brief your cases, think about the questions in the book, maybe even jot out answers, and all will go smoothly.

If you're going to say you know Latin and offer to translate it for the class, please get it right or don't offer to translate it. I don't want to look like a jerk by correcting you on a tangential point in front of 100 people, but it makes me very, very sad inside to hear my beloved language butchered. It's bad enough what legalese does to it, but when you take a straightforward and actually quite appropriate Latin term and render it nonsensical, a little part of me dies.

If you drive in Rhode Island, there is such thing as a TURN SIGNAL. Usually you signal before making a turn. You do not merely slam on your brakes, coming to a complete stop on a 45 mph road, then creep onto the cross-street at a snail's pace without ever indicating your intention to do so. Also, if you're driving a giant SUV it is particularly important that you observe the rules of safe following distance. Don't almost rear-end me twice when the two cars in front of me make slam-on-the-brakes then crawl-like-a-man-dying-in-the-desert right turns. The ungodly size of your vehicle means I would probably be crushed, and you would roll over. Think about this.

If you work for NPR, a woman who moves to Buenos Aires and learns to tango so she can have sex with a yet-to-be-determined Argentinian is not great news. I think it's kind of sad, though I guess it's probably better than just going home with the first Argentinian you meet in a bar.

If you are a conservative, liberals are not ruining the world. In fact, if you've taken a poll recently, conservatives control all three branches of the federal government, yes, even that "activist judiciary." Not to mention that I've yet to hear good evidence that protesting the war undermines the stated goals of the war, but I have read some evidence that the war undermines the war effort, particularly that American presence in the Middle east breeds more anti-American sentiment than Americans protesting American presence in the middle east do. And anti-American sentiment helps draw more middle easterners to radical Islam and terrorism. There are historical data that support this claim. Once again, I've yet to hear a compelling argument that liberals promote terrorism--actually, I've yet to hear anyone attempt such an argument at all (though if you have one, I'd love to hear it)--most folks I've talked to or heard on the radio or read on the internet just state that as if it were an undeniable fact. I have yet to hear from any liberals shooting civilian Iraqis on a regular basis--that is a trait reserved for the more heroic members of our armed forces. And yes, I have heard that from people who have served in Iraq.

Perhaps finally, if you're a decent radio station--not great, but decent--please, please, please don't broadcast karaoke, at least not at 5 pm on a weekday. Maybe late-late-night when there are friends around to exchange hilarious comments with, but spare those of us driving frustratedly home from a frustrating day of school, frustratingly searching for something other than Latin dance-sex and unsupported liberal-bashing on the radio.

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Raves:
I very much appreciate my professors. They can't magically manifest basic facts inside the heads of clueless students. They do thus far seem excellent, and these 100-person classes better than I had anticipated in spite of my rant #1.

Maybe even more, I enjoy legal Latin that actually applies directly to the legal point it references. Mens rea--the mind of the accused, and actus reus--the deed of the accused (not the mind thing and the deed thing!)--the two elements one must consider when applying a law to the facts of a criminal case. I love it!

Furthermore, I'm quite enjoying the material, especially the problem-solving inherent in much of what we've done so far. First day verdict: law school is the place for me.

Cooking for myself has been better than I expected, even now that I've been busy for a week. I made some delicious chicken tacos last night with rice and beans on the side. I am hoping to make a decent pasta sauce tonight...we'll see how that goes.

This weekend should be great. I'm trying to work ahead in my classes so I'll be all set to just have a nice, relaxing Saturday with Summer (or alternately, to be able to do lots of stuff with Summer. Just so long as it doesn't have to do with my classes).

And finally, a preemptive "boy, taking the bus to Bristol tomorrow should be great!" With gas prices as they are and no class until the afternoon, tomorrow's the day to give public transportation a shot.

Booyah.