The write-on competition for law journal suuuuucked. For those of your unfamiliar with this particular travail, first, count yourself lucky and second, let me explain. Given a nearly 200 page packet of cases, we, the 1Ls hoping to make law journal as 2Ls, were asked to submit a casenote. That casenote condensed the law contained in the numerous cases contained in said packet into a narrative describing the line of jurisprudence, or case law and legal theory.
It really was 11 days of hell, made all the worse for procrastinating. I came home to Austin from Atlanta to see my family but also because I though being away from all the distractions of my many possessions in my apartment and small number of friends would keep me focused throughout the ordeal. #timemanagmentfail Unfortunately, after finishing exams, I didn't really want to do anymore "school stuff." I put in about 4-5 hours a day for about the first four days. Then came the weekend, Mother's Day weekend, and more family. Getting back on track this week was nigh near impossible. Excelsior!
But it's over and done with now. I submitted the casenote and Bluebook quiz (ah, the bane of my existence) this morning. Now all that's left to do is wait. We aren't notified until sometime in June? Hopefully by that time I'll have put this whole excruciating ordeal out of mind.
For other 1Ls / rising 2Ls around the country who may not have completed your write-on competition yet for law journal, good luck. And if you're brilliant enough to have graded on where you're attending, I hate you.
That is all.
Hopefully I can manage to get myself into the sun at Barton Springs Pool this afternoon.
Over and out.
Showing posts with label atl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label atl. Show all posts
Friday, May 13, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
the pains of being pure at heart & twin shadow @ the earl 5 april 2011
I love the Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Let's get that out of the way up front. I drove 3 hours to see them on a Thursday night because I couldn't see them on a Friday because my LSAT was scheduled for the following day. And they always bring an opener that I'm almost as equally excited to see. Last time it was Cymbals Eat Guitars. But I was equally impressed with the Depreciation Guild, an 8bit shoe gaze-y band. And the Pains brought it again with Twin Shadow. I don't know how they consistently secure such a great touring lineup.
The first opener was a local 4 piece called gold-bears. They were a serviceable "twee punk" or "crash pop" band from Atlanta. There wasn't anything terribly distinctive about the band. They have a LP coming out on Slumberland Records (same as the Pains) next month; maybe another listen will register them more positively.
Twin Shadow played next. In case you missed it, last year's LP Forget was absolutely amazing. A definite must have. George Lewis et al exude 80s new wave. Listening to them is an instant shot of nostalgia, exciting and familiar and hitting you in your primal core but tinged with an ineffable loss, like the perfume scent of a long forgotten lover lingering on the t shirt you just found under the bed. Twin Shadow simultaneously conjures the spectre of synth-heavy 80s nostalgia acts and something much more modern.
While stumping for their merch, George mentioned that with Twin Shadow, everything was for sale. They're the biggest sellouts you know, he insisted.
The great thing about little venues like the EARL is that they attract bands who are also music fans. I caught George hanging out in the crowd to check out gold-bears. Peggy and Kip of the Pains were manning the merch table pre-show. Apparently they lost their van keys for awhile.
The came the Pains, out to support their new LP Belong. Kip was as awkwardly personable a frontman as ever but frenetic and animated as he played the guitar. Kurt is a great drummer but he first came to my attention as the plaintiff, mesmeric lead of the Depreciation Guild. Then there was Chris Hocchheim, guitarist and also formerly of the Depreciation Guild, and Alex Naidus on bass; they were your shoegaze stereotype, just standing off to one side playing. And Peggy. Oh Peggy. She's always so adorable.
Theory. The keyboardist in a band is always the most attractive member. Peggy, absolutely adorable. Nancy of LCD Soundsystem, scrumptiously curvy. Yuki of Asobi Seksu, amazing legs & great behind. The only exception that comes to mind is Cibo Matto. Yuka is definitely good looking but Miho is inhumanly cute, kawaii even.
ADDED 11 April 2011: I totally forgot to mention Yvonne Lambert of the Octopus Project.
The Pains were fantastic onstage. Their set was energetic and fun with a good mix of their self-titled 2009 LP and recent LP Belong. Loved hearing Come Saturday, Young Adult Friction, and my favorite Pains song, A Teenager in Love again. Picked up the new LP at the show. Now it's time to digest the songs after reading the reviews. Already in love with Heart In Your Heartbreak.
Peggy announced she wanted to find a mechanical bull to ride in Atlanta since the city had failed to introduce her to one last time they came through so she didn't have to go to a strip club. After a bit of bull banter, Kip cleverly slipped riding a mechanical bull into the next song's lyrics.
Oh and they found their keys. Apparently they had been hidden by Peggy's behind.
The first opener was a local 4 piece called gold-bears. They were a serviceable "twee punk" or "crash pop" band from Atlanta. There wasn't anything terribly distinctive about the band. They have a LP coming out on Slumberland Records (same as the Pains) next month; maybe another listen will register them more positively.
Twin Shadow played next. In case you missed it, last year's LP Forget was absolutely amazing. A definite must have. George Lewis et al exude 80s new wave. Listening to them is an instant shot of nostalgia, exciting and familiar and hitting you in your primal core but tinged with an ineffable loss, like the perfume scent of a long forgotten lover lingering on the t shirt you just found under the bed. Twin Shadow simultaneously conjures the spectre of synth-heavy 80s nostalgia acts and something much more modern.
While stumping for their merch, George mentioned that with Twin Shadow, everything was for sale. They're the biggest sellouts you know, he insisted.
The great thing about little venues like the EARL is that they attract bands who are also music fans. I caught George hanging out in the crowd to check out gold-bears. Peggy and Kip of the Pains were manning the merch table pre-show. Apparently they lost their van keys for awhile.
The came the Pains, out to support their new LP Belong. Kip was as awkwardly personable a frontman as ever but frenetic and animated as he played the guitar. Kurt is a great drummer but he first came to my attention as the plaintiff, mesmeric lead of the Depreciation Guild. Then there was Chris Hocchheim, guitarist and also formerly of the Depreciation Guild, and Alex Naidus on bass; they were your shoegaze stereotype, just standing off to one side playing. And Peggy. Oh Peggy. She's always so adorable.
Theory. The keyboardist in a band is always the most attractive member. Peggy, absolutely adorable. Nancy of LCD Soundsystem, scrumptiously curvy. Yuki of Asobi Seksu, amazing legs & great behind. The only exception that comes to mind is Cibo Matto. Yuka is definitely good looking but Miho is inhumanly cute, kawaii even.
ADDED 11 April 2011: I totally forgot to mention Yvonne Lambert of the Octopus Project.
The Pains were fantastic onstage. Their set was energetic and fun with a good mix of their self-titled 2009 LP and recent LP Belong. Loved hearing Come Saturday, Young Adult Friction, and my favorite Pains song, A Teenager in Love again. Picked up the new LP at the show. Now it's time to digest the songs after reading the reviews. Already in love with Heart In Your Heartbreak.
Peggy announced she wanted to find a mechanical bull to ride in Atlanta since the city had failed to introduce her to one last time they came through so she didn't have to go to a strip club. After a bit of bull banter, Kip cleverly slipped riding a mechanical bull into the next song's lyrics.
Oh and they found their keys. Apparently they had been hidden by Peggy's behind.
Monday, March 14, 2011
the earl of doom
I received an email from the EARL at 3:08 this afternoon (wait, doesn't this sound familiar) informing me that the Love Language will be pulling out of tonight's performance "due to the lead singer losing his voice." Instead of issuing a blanket refund to ticket holders, the venue will go forward with just the opener Richard Parsons and will headline Telekinesis! Those who want a refund need to call 877-725-8849 before 6pm EST to request it.
Now I know we can't expect Deerhunter to swoop in for a second impromptu set (thanks again guys for a killer show last night), but damn, two nights in a row the headliner at the EARL pulls out because of health issues. Is the place cursed? Should I worry about my health? Or are these sudden "health problems" really just a case of SXSW fever?
Whatever. Music fans of Atlanta should still make it out tonight. Telekinesis! will put on one helluva show. And it just means you'll get home a little earlier on a Monday night so you aren't as cranky tomorrow at your 8am class or job.
For a limited time you can still stream Telekinesis! latest LP, 12 Desperate Straight Lines, at Merge Records website.
Now I know we can't expect Deerhunter to swoop in for a second impromptu set (thanks again guys for a killer show last night), but damn, two nights in a row the headliner at the EARL pulls out because of health issues. Is the place cursed? Should I worry about my health? Or are these sudden "health problems" really just a case of SXSW fever?
Whatever. Music fans of Atlanta should still make it out tonight. Telekinesis! will put on one helluva show. And it just means you'll get home a little earlier on a Monday night so you aren't as cranky tomorrow at your 8am class or job.
For a limited time you can still stream Telekinesis! latest LP, 12 Desperate Straight Lines, at Merge Records website.
pinch hitter
I receive an email around 7:30pm last night indicating that Wye Oak would not be able to make their show with the Lower Dens at the EARL due to illness. The message included a notice that "Deerhunter music group" would be replacing Wye Oak as the headliner. I asked myself, "who the hell is Deerhunter music group"? But for only $5, seeing the Lower Dens, a band whose 2010 debut LP "Twin Hand Movement" easily made my top 5 of the year, was a bargain regardless of the replacement headliner.
At the venue, the first sign of what lay in store for me was the same "Skinny" t-shirt I had bought at the Halcyon Digest release party available at the merch table. I realized "Deerhunter music group" meant "Deerhunter, the music group." I guess as opposed to showing the 1978 Vietnam war film starring Robert de Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken. The Lower Dens were great. But Deerhunter crushed it.
It was amazing seeing a local band play for the local crowd with genuine joy and affection. Each song turned into an extended jam session. I could sense a real pleasure and enthusiasm emanating from the band in this unscheduled opportunity to play for the crowd and the crowd's genuine appreciation. Bradford even played in support of the opener, Lonny Holley, and joined the crowd front row for the Lower Dens. He called the Lower Dens Deerhunter's "favorite band," but tonight's impromptu performance filling in for Wye Oak deepened my already deep appreciation for Atlanta's band.
For regular readers, you know I haven't always had the best time at shows here in Atlanta. In fact, most times performances here come up short simply based on the lack of energy evident in the crowd. But I felt like I got the opportunity to experience something rare tonight. Easily the best show I've been too since I arrived here in Georgia. Thanks again to Bradford Cox and Deerhunter for stepping up to the plate. You guys were amazing.
At the venue, the first sign of what lay in store for me was the same "Skinny" t-shirt I had bought at the Halcyon Digest release party available at the merch table. I realized "Deerhunter music group" meant "Deerhunter, the music group." I guess as opposed to showing the 1978 Vietnam war film starring Robert de Niro, Meryl Streep, and Christopher Walken. The Lower Dens were great. But Deerhunter crushed it.
It was amazing seeing a local band play for the local crowd with genuine joy and affection. Each song turned into an extended jam session. I could sense a real pleasure and enthusiasm emanating from the band in this unscheduled opportunity to play for the crowd and the crowd's genuine appreciation. Bradford even played in support of the opener, Lonny Holley, and joined the crowd front row for the Lower Dens. He called the Lower Dens Deerhunter's "favorite band," but tonight's impromptu performance filling in for Wye Oak deepened my already deep appreciation for Atlanta's band.
For regular readers, you know I haven't always had the best time at shows here in Atlanta. In fact, most times performances here come up short simply based on the lack of energy evident in the crowd. But I felt like I got the opportunity to experience something rare tonight. Easily the best show I've been too since I arrived here in Georgia. Thanks again to Bradford Cox and Deerhunter for stepping up to the plate. You guys were amazing.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
the drunken unicorn
Last night was my second trip to the Drunken Unicorn, a literal hole in the wall music venue in Atlanta. It's part of the MJQ Concourse, variously described as part of the Virginia Highlands or Old Fourth Ward. You wouldn't know the Unicorn was there just by looking for it. Thankfully I ran into some guys on the way to the No Age show who could escort to the front door. From the outside, it's just a little shack in the middle of a parking lot. You descend down a broad concrete staircase to the front door.
Inside, it's quite small. The bar is a separate room to your right passed the front door. Merch is sold from a table in a room at the back of the venue. Performances seem intimate owing to the limited capacity and relatively low stage. I like this venue. The walls are adorned with a mural of flying-wing type UFOs and giant robots that remind me of the Iron Giant.
Cloud Nothings were interesting power pop. I enjoyed the set but didn't feel like I was hearing or seeing anything too remarkable. There's a lot of internet buzz about the band. Who knows, maybe Cloud Nothings are more catchy recorded than live.
Toro y Moi, on the other hand, were fantastic. This was the second time I've seen them. The first was back in Austin at Emo's as the opener for Caribou last year. Chazwick Bundick, the man behind Toro y Moi, is often linked to the contested subgenre of chillwave, consisting bands such as Neon Indian and Washed Out. He plays a highly infectious brand of electronic dance with not so faint echos of 80s electropop.
In Austin, it was a raucous dance party with just about every single body packed into the space swaying, bopping, and shaking. Atlanta was much more sedate. Only a handful of people, including yours truly, managed anything that could be considered close to dancing. Several others in the crowd managed nods but for the most part the crowd seemed rooted to the floor, unmoved by the beat. Lots of people took pictures. Sometimes it feels like the scene here is more important to be seen than to enjoy, like music is a second job and the people show up with all the enthusiasm for a cubicle maze for the sake of being at the right place on the right night.
I dunno. Something about the live music scene here in Atlanta just doesn't feel right. It's like the city has no soul, at least not for "indie" rock acts. Even notorious gurus of making your body move Ghostland Obervatory barely stirred the kids with their glo sticks to cut loose, shake their hips, and have a good time when they came through last year. Ain't no party in a sad, sad city. I hear that dancing is good for the soul. And as a benefit, it also gets you smiling.
Inside, it's quite small. The bar is a separate room to your right passed the front door. Merch is sold from a table in a room at the back of the venue. Performances seem intimate owing to the limited capacity and relatively low stage. I like this venue. The walls are adorned with a mural of flying-wing type UFOs and giant robots that remind me of the Iron Giant.
Cloud Nothings were interesting power pop. I enjoyed the set but didn't feel like I was hearing or seeing anything too remarkable. There's a lot of internet buzz about the band. Who knows, maybe Cloud Nothings are more catchy recorded than live.
Toro y Moi, on the other hand, were fantastic. This was the second time I've seen them. The first was back in Austin at Emo's as the opener for Caribou last year. Chazwick Bundick, the man behind Toro y Moi, is often linked to the contested subgenre of chillwave, consisting bands such as Neon Indian and Washed Out. He plays a highly infectious brand of electronic dance with not so faint echos of 80s electropop.
In Austin, it was a raucous dance party with just about every single body packed into the space swaying, bopping, and shaking. Atlanta was much more sedate. Only a handful of people, including yours truly, managed anything that could be considered close to dancing. Several others in the crowd managed nods but for the most part the crowd seemed rooted to the floor, unmoved by the beat. Lots of people took pictures. Sometimes it feels like the scene here is more important to be seen than to enjoy, like music is a second job and the people show up with all the enthusiasm for a cubicle maze for the sake of being at the right place on the right night.
I dunno. Something about the live music scene here in Atlanta just doesn't feel right. It's like the city has no soul, at least not for "indie" rock acts. Even notorious gurus of making your body move Ghostland Obervatory barely stirred the kids with their glo sticks to cut loose, shake their hips, and have a good time when they came through last year. Ain't no party in a sad, sad city. I hear that dancing is good for the soul. And as a benefit, it also gets you smiling.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
the EARL
Tonight was my first visit to the EARL (East Atlanta Restaurant and Lounge). It's in East Atlanta, a sector of the city supposedly overrun by hipsters. There was definitely a hipster vibe to the crowd but not the over the top, cringe-worthy walking disasters made famous by websites like look at this fucking hipster or internet memes like hipster ariel. A couple of interesting folks I met said Atlanta hipsterdom is about 5 years behind the rest of the nation and I did notice a dearth of lumberjack beards on the crowd. But I'm getting off topic here...
The EARL is a great live music venue in terms of atmosphere. Even though the front half of the space is a restaurant, the place conjured more of an Emo's vibe for me than Stubb's (these are Austin music venues). The stage is in the back of the lounge. It lacks the Flintstones BDSM graffiti, punk Ganesha, and theater seats that conjure so many fond all ages shows memories of Emo's. In fact, the walls of the EARL are mostly just black. But it's got that same intimate feeling with the stage. In fact, we stood next to members of opening acts Blair and La Sera to watch Say Hi and Tennis play. I didn't see any mohawks or studded leather jackets to let me know the punks were present like the staple Emo's crowd. Atlanta seems to be light on punks, in fact; I've only noticed a few out at shows, most notably at No Age / Rene Hell show at the Drunken Unicorn.
Like I said, the atmosphere is great. The crowd was mostly chill, too, unlike my many bad experiences with people at the Tabernacle and Variety Playhouse.
The one big complaint I have about the EARL is the acoustics. Hopefully it was just an off night. One positive sign was the tech coming out to replace the lead's mic during the La Sera set to improve the volume of her vocals.
All in all, I like. Still doesn't fit quite as nicely as the aforementioned Emo's and Stubb's or the Mohawk or La Zona Rosa or the Parish, but a solid venue, assuming the sound techs get their act together and dazzle me next time. Because there will be a next time. Many of my favorite acts tour through their, including the Lower Dens on Sunday, Telekinesis! on Monday, Asobi Seksu on the 21st, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Twin Shadow on April 5.
Yew can dew it, earls!
The EARL is a great live music venue in terms of atmosphere. Even though the front half of the space is a restaurant, the place conjured more of an Emo's vibe for me than Stubb's (these are Austin music venues). The stage is in the back of the lounge. It lacks the Flintstones BDSM graffiti, punk Ganesha, and theater seats that conjure so many fond all ages shows memories of Emo's. In fact, the walls of the EARL are mostly just black. But it's got that same intimate feeling with the stage. In fact, we stood next to members of opening acts Blair and La Sera to watch Say Hi and Tennis play. I didn't see any mohawks or studded leather jackets to let me know the punks were present like the staple Emo's crowd. Atlanta seems to be light on punks, in fact; I've only noticed a few out at shows, most notably at No Age / Rene Hell show at the Drunken Unicorn.
Like I said, the atmosphere is great. The crowd was mostly chill, too, unlike my many bad experiences with people at the Tabernacle and Variety Playhouse.
The one big complaint I have about the EARL is the acoustics. Hopefully it was just an off night. One positive sign was the tech coming out to replace the lead's mic during the La Sera set to improve the volume of her vocals.
All in all, I like. Still doesn't fit quite as nicely as the aforementioned Emo's and Stubb's or the Mohawk or La Zona Rosa or the Parish, but a solid venue, assuming the sound techs get their act together and dazzle me next time. Because there will be a next time. Many of my favorite acts tour through their, including the Lower Dens on Sunday, Telekinesis! on Monday, Asobi Seksu on the 21st, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Twin Shadow on April 5.
Yew can dew it, earls!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
2010 Concerts in Review
The Year
2010 was a pretty hectic year, what with the moving half-way across the country to start law school and all. And yet I still managed to squeeze in time for one of my favorite past times, live music, amidst all the chaos. I've include the city with the show to help my 512 friends navigate the 404 and vice versa.
2011 is warming up (get it?!) to be a pretty good year. Had to skip the Lower Dens playing here in ATL on 1/13 due to the snowstorm but thank your god that they're coming back through on 3/13 @ The Earl. Looks like the first show of the year for me will be No Age on Friday 1/21. After that, the next confirmed shows on my calendar are Godspeed You! Black Emperor on 3/22 @ 40 Watt Club and Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Twin Shadow on 4/5 @ The Earl with plenty in between.
3/12 Flaming Lips, Stardeath & White Dwarfs @ Austin Music Hall (ATX)
4/11 Yeasayer, Javelin @ La Zona Rosa (ATX)
4/30 Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club @ Verizon Wireless Theater (Houston)
5/16 Caribou, Toro y Moi @ Emo's (ATX)
5/18 The Besnard Lakes, Stardeath & White Dwarfs @ Mohawk (ATX)
5/30 Tiny Vipers, Svarte Greiner, Lissom, Crystal Hell Pool @ Gray Area Gallery (SF)
6/7 Neon Indian, Survive, Cry Blood Apache @ Emo's (ATX)
6/8 LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost @ Stubb's (ATX)
6/18 Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club @ Stubb's (ATX)
6/30 The Psychedelic Furs, She Wants Revenge @ Emo's (ATX)
7/6 Islands, Steel Phantoms @ The Parish (ATX)
7/17 Ghostland Observatory @ Whitewater Amphitheater (New Braunfels, TX)
7/23 New Pornographers, The Dodos @ Stubb's (ATX)
8/3 Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Magic Kids, Puro Instinct @ Mohawk (ATX)
8/4 Here We Go Magic, Beach Fossils, Oh No Oh My @ Emo's (ATX)
9/18 Ghostland Observatory @ Masquerade (ATL)
9/26 Pavement @ The Tabernacle (ATL)
10/1 Deerhunter - release party for Halcyon Digest; featuring Henry Barbe, The Dust Bunnies, Hollow Sounds @ Variety Playhouse (ATL)
10/2 Stars @ Variety Playhouse (ATL)
10/4 LCD Soundsystem, Sleigh Bells @ The Tabernacle (ATL)
10/5 The National @ Fox Theatre (ATL)
10/6 The XX, Warpaint, Zola Jesus @ The Tabernacle (ATL)
10/8 Menomena, Suckers, Tu Fawning @ Variety Playhouse (ATL)
10/16 Beach House, Henry Barbe, Steve Strohmeir @ 40 Watt Club (Athens, GA)
12/31 The Sword @ Mohawk (ATX)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
whoa, man
It's been a long time since I blogged. After residing here for almost 2 months, here's my impressions of the ATL.
Driving
You can call what they do in Atlanta driving same as you can say a virus reproduces sexually: only by destroying the meaning of the words. But they do have one thing in common. Coming into contact with either is hazardous to your health.
Music Scene
I like the bands Atlanta attracts. Just this week LCD Soundsystem with Sleigh Bells, the National with Owen Pallett, and the xx with Zola Jesus came through. Last Friday Deerhunter had their cd release party here. Godspeed You! Black Emperor added nearby Athens as one of the dozen or so US tour dates they've had in years. But what I don't like is the quality of people those shows attract. If I had to describe it in one word, I'd say the scene here isn't chill like Austin. The venues themselves are great but I wish they made you check your douchebags at the door.
Food
Being a poor law student, I can't afford to sample all the local fare. Still no Atlanta BBQ but I hear Fat Matt's ribs are delish. I've also heard great things about the breakfast / brunch at Flying Biscuit. A few fellow 1Ls and I have started an unofficial burger club to ferret out the best burger in Atlanta. After only two meetings, the consent so far is Vortex but we have a number of places yet to be tried. We've also got a Friday afternoon ritual at a local hole-in-the-wall which shall remain nameless so as not to attract a crowd. Suffice it to say, it's yummy. BYOB, too, and an afternoon beer, great food, and cool company is always the best way to wrap up another week in law school.
On an unrelated note, I finally finished reading Murakami's "Norwegian Wood". Remarkable book. I'm a growing fan of the post-war Japanese writers. This has cleared my pleasure reading calendar for Richard Bernstein's "The East, the West, and Sex" and my expected harsh criticism thereof. Let's see if I can deliver something on a more consisten schedule this time.
Driving
You can call what they do in Atlanta driving same as you can say a virus reproduces sexually: only by destroying the meaning of the words. But they do have one thing in common. Coming into contact with either is hazardous to your health.
Music Scene
I like the bands Atlanta attracts. Just this week LCD Soundsystem with Sleigh Bells, the National with Owen Pallett, and the xx with Zola Jesus came through. Last Friday Deerhunter had their cd release party here. Godspeed You! Black Emperor added nearby Athens as one of the dozen or so US tour dates they've had in years. But what I don't like is the quality of people those shows attract. If I had to describe it in one word, I'd say the scene here isn't chill like Austin. The venues themselves are great but I wish they made you check your douchebags at the door.
Food
Being a poor law student, I can't afford to sample all the local fare. Still no Atlanta BBQ but I hear Fat Matt's ribs are delish. I've also heard great things about the breakfast / brunch at Flying Biscuit. A few fellow 1Ls and I have started an unofficial burger club to ferret out the best burger in Atlanta. After only two meetings, the consent so far is Vortex but we have a number of places yet to be tried. We've also got a Friday afternoon ritual at a local hole-in-the-wall which shall remain nameless so as not to attract a crowd. Suffice it to say, it's yummy. BYOB, too, and an afternoon beer, great food, and cool company is always the best way to wrap up another week in law school.
On an unrelated note, I finally finished reading Murakami's "Norwegian Wood". Remarkable book. I'm a growing fan of the post-war Japanese writers. This has cleared my pleasure reading calendar for Richard Bernstein's "The East, the West, and Sex" and my expected harsh criticism thereof. Let's see if I can deliver something on a more consisten schedule this time.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Feels like the first night...
Tonight is my first night in Atlanta. Storms a'brewing all day but thankfully I got all my stuff moved inside safely dry. No rain has fallen yet but the forecast calls for rain all weekend.
Traveling was hell. I'm not opposed to road trips per se but I definitely prefer to sleep in a hotel room as opposed to the back seat of a pickup parked in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I hurt my right shoulder again. It happens every few months when I sleep on it wrong. Apparently along the backseat of a wide-cab pickup was wrong. I really need some yoga therapy right now. Too bad there isn't any place as great as Yoga Yoga here in Atlanta.
Atlanta is quite a beautiful city. Very green. Evergreen trees surround my entire apartment and I live very close to a nature preserve. I even took a little trip down to the campus. Clairmont reminds me of the Drag in Austin or that one street Matt, Salena, and I strolled near Berkeley. It was teeming with little shops and restaurants, even an independent record store called Wuxtry Records. It feels a lot like home.
I noticed an Indian food place nearby that bills itself as vegetarian. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised this near campus. Colleges tend to be hotbeds of "liberalism" and "left wing nutjobs," even this far in the south.
I received notice by email that my class schedule is available online. Emory, like many if not all law schools, operates on a "lottery" system for first year classes. All 1Ls take the same curriculum but obviously can't be crammed into the same class room at the same time with the same prof expected to grade coursework. Instead, the registrar assigns you a schedule. In other words, you the student have no say in when or by whom you will be taught during the first year. Since variations in teaching styles, grading philosophies, etc. exist, some sections of the same core class may be preferable to others. It is all up to the luck of the draw as to which section you will be assigned. Since I have not received my Comcast modem yet, I have been unable to review my schedule. This situation should be remedied tomorrow.
The Emory Public interest Committee (EPIC) is hosting a discount law book fair on campus next week. They will be offering 1L books at steeply discounted prices on Wednesday. Who has two thumbs and will definitely be there to save on his text books? This blog writer. But you got to bring cash or check because they don't take American Express. Or Visa, for that matter.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Traveling was hell. I'm not opposed to road trips per se but I definitely prefer to sleep in a hotel room as opposed to the back seat of a pickup parked in a Wal-Mart parking lot. I hurt my right shoulder again. It happens every few months when I sleep on it wrong. Apparently along the backseat of a wide-cab pickup was wrong. I really need some yoga therapy right now. Too bad there isn't any place as great as Yoga Yoga here in Atlanta.
Atlanta is quite a beautiful city. Very green. Evergreen trees surround my entire apartment and I live very close to a nature preserve. I even took a little trip down to the campus. Clairmont reminds me of the Drag in Austin or that one street Matt, Salena, and I strolled near Berkeley. It was teeming with little shops and restaurants, even an independent record store called Wuxtry Records. It feels a lot like home.
I noticed an Indian food place nearby that bills itself as vegetarian. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised this near campus. Colleges tend to be hotbeds of "liberalism" and "left wing nutjobs," even this far in the south.
I received notice by email that my class schedule is available online. Emory, like many if not all law schools, operates on a "lottery" system for first year classes. All 1Ls take the same curriculum but obviously can't be crammed into the same class room at the same time with the same prof expected to grade coursework. Instead, the registrar assigns you a schedule. In other words, you the student have no say in when or by whom you will be taught during the first year. Since variations in teaching styles, grading philosophies, etc. exist, some sections of the same core class may be preferable to others. It is all up to the luck of the draw as to which section you will be assigned. Since I have not received my Comcast modem yet, I have been unable to review my schedule. This situation should be remedied tomorrow.
The Emory Public interest Committee (EPIC) is hosting a discount law book fair on campus next week. They will be offering 1L books at steeply discounted prices on Wednesday. Who has two thumbs and will definitely be there to save on his text books? This blog writer. But you got to bring cash or check because they don't take American Express. Or Visa, for that matter.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Bye bye Austin, hello law school
Today I got into a truck to begin the 15 hour drive from Austin, TX (my home of the last 18 years) to Atlanta, GA to attend Emory Law. I attended high school in Austin, got my undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. I've met most of my friends and all of my exes in Austin. 18 years is a long time to accumulate memories, both good and bad. So it is with mixed emotions that I depart. I am sad and scared to leave behind so many important people and familiar surroundings. But there's also a lot of pain left behind there. Moving away quite literally is moving on. UTA has a great law program, no doubt, but they don't offer the area of study I'm most interested in. Emory does.
Moving is also a chance to start over, to shed the scales of the past to become somebody new, hopefully somebody better, happier. That doesn't mean anybody is getting cut out. I'm just interested in ch-ch-ch-changes.
So it's a new city, major educational endeavor. Big changes. A number of my friends have had the law school experience; most have not. I'll start by sharing my 1L experiences here on this blog as (legal mullet). If you're hoping for something salacious like Lena Chen's Sex and the Ivy (the infamous Harvard sex blog), you'll be disappointed. I'm not like that and I certainly don't kiss and tell. I'm almost 32 for crissakes, not 19.
Instead, what you'll get is an idea of the brutality of the Socratic method, study groups, exam hell, and the reading, reading, reading (among other things). I'll also review those handful of Atlanta places I can afford to frequent on my student allotment of money and time.
Orientation officially starts on Wednesday, August 18 and runs through Friday, August 20 from 8 am to approximately 4 pm. Attendance is mandatory. There are also some events scheduled on the 16th and 17th. Kaplan/PMBR are sponsoring Building Community Day on Tuesday. They say it's an opportunity to meet about 90% of my fellow 1Ls and includes, among other things, a scavenger hunt. I'm looking forward to it.
I'll let you know how the lottery goes on class draw. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, I'll explain it when I receive my fall class schedule.
Classes starts on August 23. In the meantime, I have to get to Atlanta, sign my lease, and move in to my apartment. Then I'll need to scout out the neighborhood for essentials like the grocery store and a yoga studio (more on that to come).
I'm really excited to start this new phase in my life. It has been a long time coming.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Moving is also a chance to start over, to shed the scales of the past to become somebody new, hopefully somebody better, happier. That doesn't mean anybody is getting cut out. I'm just interested in ch-ch-ch-changes.
So it's a new city, major educational endeavor. Big changes. A number of my friends have had the law school experience; most have not. I'll start by sharing my 1L experiences here on this blog as (legal mullet). If you're hoping for something salacious like Lena Chen's Sex and the Ivy (the infamous Harvard sex blog), you'll be disappointed. I'm not like that and I certainly don't kiss and tell. I'm almost 32 for crissakes, not 19.
Instead, what you'll get is an idea of the brutality of the Socratic method, study groups, exam hell, and the reading, reading, reading (among other things). I'll also review those handful of Atlanta places I can afford to frequent on my student allotment of money and time.
Orientation officially starts on Wednesday, August 18 and runs through Friday, August 20 from 8 am to approximately 4 pm. Attendance is mandatory. There are also some events scheduled on the 16th and 17th. Kaplan/PMBR are sponsoring Building Community Day on Tuesday. They say it's an opportunity to meet about 90% of my fellow 1Ls and includes, among other things, a scavenger hunt. I'm looking forward to it.
I'll let you know how the lottery goes on class draw. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, I'll explain it when I receive my fall class schedule.
Classes starts on August 23. In the meantime, I have to get to Atlanta, sign my lease, and move in to my apartment. Then I'll need to scout out the neighborhood for essentials like the grocery store and a yoga studio (more on that to come).
I'm really excited to start this new phase in my life. It has been a long time coming.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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