Assuming Arguendo

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T15:13:00.002-04:00

Moms make the world go 'round!

25 years young!

2009-04-19T22:20:00.002-04:00

Hooray for turning 25!

Hooray for still looking like a 12 year old. I totally got carded for an R rated movie today. at 4 pm on a Sunday.....I asked the ticket lady if she was serious.....she was

Can't Smile Without You....

2008-07-11T21:52:00.001-04:00

I wanted a live version, but this was the best sound...

Great duet in Hellboy 2

Oh barry manilow...you crazy whore!

"Want to go to McDonald's in the morning?"

2008-07-10T21:43:00.002-04:00

"It will be like old times....in June. You remember early June right? When the bar exam was still more than a month away?" - Pat (7/09/08 around 10:00 p.m.)

3 weeks from now I will be done with the torture that is the bar exam. Hooray!

Now....back to that Massachusetts practice essay question

5 backgrounds and counting...

2008-07-04T21:20:00.004-04:00

Finally somewhat happy with the background, so I am leaving it for a while. It's calming,

Like Sydney Australia....

TV Theme Songs

2008-07-04T16:39:00.003-04:00

How many can you get? Hopefully not all in the first 2 minutes. (although some are really easy) I blame it on slim pickings around the internet

1. This one is pretty easy

2. Funny, Funny television, subtle

3. Still watch today...

4. One of my all-time favorites

5. I have no idea why I watched this show, blame it on being a child

7. I thought the gulls added a little something to this clip

9. I loved this show as a precocious 9 year old watching reruns

10. This one set me up for a life of loving Richard Pryor, Queen Latifah, and Chris Rock

BONUS:

Bold Predictions for 2008

2008-07-03T11:33:00.003-04:00

Because Troy Pieper is giving us the exact notes we got in February, I am going to predict outcomes and final scores for the 2008 Florida Gators football season.

(Note: fall practice has not started and fingers are crossed that there are no arrests or serious injuries)

August 30 Hawaii: Even though June Jones and Colt Brennan are gone, Tebow and Company will look to get the season started off right and show Hawaii just what kind of "System QB" he is... By the way think the 12:30 pm Gainesville start isn't on purpose. As if the Gators needed another edge (Hawaii has a horrible record on the mainland) they are going to feel like it is 6:30 in the morning and it will probably be over 90 degrees.
Final Score: Gators 52 Warriors 24

September 6 Miami (Fla.): I am one of the believers in the culture Randy Shannon is building in South Florida. These new look 'Canes will have plenty of young talent and I expect to see a better showing from them then when they were flattened by Boomer Sooner in 2007. That said, the Gators will be looking to flex their muscle in front of the home fans on National TV against the old rival. Lets get back that War Canoe Trophy! It has been in Miami since 2002.
Final Score: Gators 35 Hurricanes 17

September 20 @ Tennessee: Back to Rocky Top for another showdown on the River. Look for this game to be returned to its famed 8:00pm CBS prime-time spot this season (unless Tennessee goes out and chokes @ UCLA on week 1) in a matchup of what should be undefeated teams. This series has been tight for the past 15 years and during the 90s was the deciding factor in who would represent the East for the SEC crown. The Vols will be looking to exact revenge for their beatdown they took in Gainesville last year, too bad fat Phil and the Cream-cicles are a joke these days (who's playing QB?) and their fans rally for 8 win seasons. Plus the Gators have an extra week to prepare for Phil, not that they would need it. Meanwhile Verne Lundquist calls a Tennessee player by an Alabama player's name at least once...
Final Score: Gators 38 Volunteers 24

September 27 Ole Miss: The Rebs should show immediate improvement under Houston Nutt and their genteel fan base will enjoy the show at least for the first 3 or 4 seasons. That 3rd trip to the Liberty or Independence Bowl though and they will be screaming for a coaching change.
Final Score: Gators 41 Rebels 21

October 4 @ Arkansas: The famed trap game for the Gators. The early October road game to an SEC West opponent. Why do the Gators struggle when they go out on these rotational games in the middle of no where? Anybody's guess, but since 1992 the Gators are 5-6 against non-regular SEC West opponents on the road (Note: record against LSU and Auburn [1992-2002] not included because they were yearly opponents). Two of the wins though: blowouts against Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1996 and 2003. If Ron Zook can win there, so can Urban and Tebow. Double bonus if the game is on ESPN2, where the Gators are 8-0.
Final Score: Gators 35 Razorbacks: 21

October 11 LSU: We owe the Tigers this year again and they have no QB. Their defense is always tough though. This year I think there will be a recommitment to the Swamp though and the Gators are going to protect home turf!
Final Score: Gators 21 Bayou Bengals 10

October 25 Kentucky: Homecoming! The departure of Andre Woodson and several receviers who seemed to be at UK for the better part of a decade will lead the 'Cats back to their usual 5th place SEC East slot. This should be ugly and Timmy will get to peace out by the start of the 4th Quarter. Wait for basketball season (oh wait, they suck at that now too....)
Final Score: Gators 49 Wildcats 13

November 1 Georgia (Jacksonville): Cocktail Party the day after Halloween. Gators have won 15 of 18, but Dawgs probably like their chances with their supposed new found confidence and swagger under the "new" Mark Richt (who wears black and goes for 2...oh my). Do they win 2 in a row for the first time in almost 20 years? I have to admit this is the hardest game to pick. I've seen the Gators beat better Georgia teams, I've seen Ron Zook win 2 of 3, I've seen wins with defense, offense, and in the rain. Somehow, someway, we found a way to win. It was a foregone conclusion for so many years that it is suprising how much last year changed my view of Georgia. Unlike previous victories in 1997 and 2004 Georgia didn't lose its best players this year, and in fact should be markedly stronger than last year's team.
Final Score: Gators 24 Bulldogs 27

(Editor's Note: I would trade a loss to LSU or Arkansas or even both if the trade off is to beat Georgia and knock them out of the NC race. I'm just saying)

November 8 @ Vanderbilt: Pissed off at losing to Georgia for the second straight years and being thrown out of NC contention by the pundits, the Gators come out flat against a hyped, frisky Vandy team. Vandy frat guys and gals hold up signs reading "you gotta believe!" and for a quarter and a half they do, then they realize they are Vanderbilt and Tebow decides to win the game himself.
Final Score: Gators 34 Commodores 21

November 15 South Carolina: SOS returns for the second time to Gainesville, will the dirty birds pose a legitimate threat to the Gators? Not a chance in hell. That team is a mess and Spurrier needs to get out of the shitshow that is "the place where head coaches go to die" Rumors swirl about SOS leaving after yet another mediocre 7-5 season.
Final Score: Gators 41 Gamecocks 28
SOS Visor Tosses: 3

November 22 The Citadel: Um so it will be fun to see the Gators that will be the core of our team in the coming seasons.
Final Score: Gators 63 El Cid 13

November 29 @ Florida State: F-L-O-R-I-D-A S-T-A-T-E! Trash, complete trash. Gators go for the win for the thumb and their 3rd straight in Tally. There is no reason why the Gators who will essentially have had 2 weeks to rest up and recover from injuries to extend their dominance over these chumps. FSU finally learned how to score field goals last year, though we were poppin in for touchdowns each time. Expect more of the same as FSU won't get out of this funk until St. Bobby exits. He's done a lot for the 'Noles and college football. I have even met him and he seems genuinely nice, but the train has left the tracks. The game has changed and he can no longer beat his son Tommy...and when you are regularly losing to Tommy Bowden either you play football for the University of South Carolina or your head coach needs to retire....Better luck in 2010 (predicted year two of Jimbo Fisher in which the 'Noles will get back to a 10 win season and the ACC championship game).
Final Score: Gators 45 Seminoles 24

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Florida vs. Auburn: That's right, I'm calling it and I'm being a homer, isn't that allowed? Well here is the deal: While I predicted a Georgia win, no way they run that schedule unscathed and will end up with 2 conference losses (including a potential embarrassing loss in week 1 against South Carolina, Spurrier will have a singular focus during fall camp of knocking off the Dawgs, after that victory they will subsequently tank though!) Why Auburn? Well they have the continuity and defense to be in the best position in the west. Alabama is still a year away, LSU will rack up one too many losses with another tough schedule, and Arkansas and Ole Miss are breaking in new coaches. Therefore the old rivals meet up for the first time in the SEC championship since 2000, plus this is a ridiculous attempt to play out the 2008 season in July
Final Score: Gators 28 Tigers 17

SUGAR BOWL: Florida v. West Virginia: I don't have high hopes for WVU as a legit National Title contender, but with that talent there is no reason why they should not win the Big East and return to the BCS for the 3rd time in 4 years. With the National Championship shifting to the Orange Bowl, the Sugar will regain its SEC/Big East auto tie in assuming neither conference sends its champion down to Miami. Rematch of the Sugar from the mid nineties but this time around WVU has an offense and plenty of experience in big Bowl games. Potentially the best game on the BCS schedule, just for the offensive star power.
Final Score: Florida 38 West Virginia 35

Note: If Georgia does run the table or UF loses a 2nd game and doesn't make it to the SEC championship, then I think that they would be a prime candidate to still go to the Sugar as an at-large, or if a team suprises in the Midwest, then the Sugar could pass and would set up my fun time matchup on January 1st against the ACC champion Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl !

Happy College Football Season

Great Season: 13-1, SEC Champions, Sugar Bowl Champions
Alternate Good Season: 11-2, Second in SEC East, Orange Bowl Champions
Dissapointment: 9-4, Outback Bowl losers

Whatever happens I am predicting this season is a prelude to a 2009 National Championship season with a Senior Tebow and favorable home schedule.

Happy Gym Time

2008-06-26T17:01:00.002-04:00

"You always seem happy when you come back from the gym." - kerri

Thanks Kerri, it's because I am! Happy Endorphins even while studying for the bar exam!

"I just don't think that Brooke could've done this. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." - elle woods, legally blonde

(so good... if I keep going to the gym I won't shoot anyone, that is a good trait to have!)

Vance didn't give me notice like the rules stated.....

2008-06-25T18:43:00.002-04:00

Vance didn't give me notice of being tagged so that I may play the quiz game. And in studying for the Bar exam you find out that notice is really important, whether it is actual or constructive!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? June 25, 1998 was a Thursday so probably I was at the house. The only other thing would have been if I was at church camp...but I don't remember
2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?
Study for New York Bar Exam
Study for Massachusetts Bar Exam
Go to class
Go to gym?
Ignore the laundry
3. Snacks I enjoy: I don't snack, I love meals! but if I had to choose sour cream & onion chips are my favorite
4. Places I’ve lived: Richmond, VA; Fernandina Beach, FL; Greenville, SC; 3 indiscriminate villages on Long Island, NY
5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire: Buy lots of fun stuff! Invest! Never get a real job!!! Buy Furman the biggest video replay screen in college football. Take that App. State
7. Name two things you have in common with Oprah: We both like to give people things and we both think we should be on television!
8. You can tell a lot about a person by: how they interact with your family
9. Are you a yeller when you get angry? Depends on who I am angry at....most people would be surprised to hear me yell, it normally scares someone if they have never heard it before. case in point: losing my voice yelling at the refs following them up and down the sideline during the Wofford/Furman 2004 game and their bush league calls and non-calls! (it was so pass interference in the corner of the endzone, but i'm not bitter)
10. Have you ever danced in public? I mean why not....of course I have
11. What did you do to deserve your first detention? First and only detention was a result of being tardy too many times. I got it taken off my record though and got a permanent hall pass for being vice president of the school. I did get all my homework done at detention though, it was awesome.
12. What did you do deserve your first paddling? Lied about something.... Lying is bad! I didn't get paddled too much after that though
13. Name three things you like about the town you live in. 1. It is not Hempstead, 2. train to NYC is a block away, 3. close to school
14. Name four things that you love to do. 1. hang with the family on vacations, 2. video games, 3. go to the movies in the theater, 4. studying for the bar exam..... (ok that's a lie, don't paddle me)
15. Name something unusual you carry with you wherever you go. I have a piece of notebook paper I carry in my wallet from China where Jason, Peter, and I attempted to write down in Chinese the train that we wanted from Nanjing to Shanghai. As it turned out the only word we could write in Chinese was san (which means 3) and is simply three straight lines on top of one another and was the number of tickets we needed. The rest of the piece of paper is in English. We took it to the ticket counter and held it up to the glass, at which point the ticket seller asked in perfect English: "So you want 3 tickets on the D440 express from Nanjing to Shanghai tomorrow?" oh globalization......
16. What’s your favorite website? I don't have just one. phinfever, espn.com, cnnsi, gatorzone, facebook, and yahoo fantasy baseball
17. Where and when was your first kiss? Church Bus probably in 5th grade....man those church trips. First real kiss was later on in 9th grade after the braces came off....
18. What would an enemy have to say about you? "He really thinks he is smart and funny doesn't he?" well I am...
19. Favorite childhood memory. family vacation to aspen, colorado. Also pop warner football...
20. Any regrets? Law school? does that count. No seriously, no regrets have to live each day as a new one, can't go back only forward.

and that is all the procrastinating for now. back to evidence multi-state questions

Movie List 2008

2008-06-22T18:06:00.003-04:00

Almost to the halfway point of 2008 and I have already been to 16 movies in the theater. Some good and some great and some named Sex and the City. Here is my brief rundown and ranking of the movies that I have been to from least enjoyable to best.

Note: the criteria is completely subjective and I am not a harsh movie critic. But I do measure by number of times I look at the time on my cellphone...

15) Tie: Doomsday and Sex and the City : Sex and the City was painfully long and while I did have a few good laughs, there were inordinate dead spots. I checked my phone every 15 minutes to see if we were closer to the end. If they would have tightened the movie to an hour and forty minutes it definitely would have scored higher than Doomsday. Doomsday had an awesome premise (evil plague that kills the population so lets build a 25 foot wall around Scotland) but in reality it was a mishmosh of action that had a sketchy plot. Where the hell did that medieval castle come from anyway?

14) The Happening : I have seen all the previous M. Night movies with Lance in the theater so we had to go! It was entertaining while in the theater and immediately thereafter, even if we did laugh at inappropriate times (cue the large girl with the tiny backpack trying to outrun the wind) That said, after discussing the movie later there were several plot holes that annoy me, which is why this doesn't rate higher. Still better than The Village or Lady in the Water, I don't know that that means much though.

13) 10,000 B.C. : seemed like it would be a great adventure movie in a particularly dead time for movies in early March. However the plot was pretty sophomoric and the battle scenes were ok, but we have seen them before, and better.

12) Horton Hears a Who : I did look forward to this movie, and enjoyed it, but after all the hoopla and the ballyhooed celebrity voices, there wasn't much that the film did to add to the book. You can read the book in 15 minutes pausing to let children see the pictures and somehow the movie was an hour and a half.

11) Harold and Kumar - Escape from Guantanamo Bay : Stupid plot, stupid movie, but tons of fun. Including more Neil Patrick!

10) Rambo : Complete gratuitous violence. Amazing. Set in Thailand/Cambodia it is Sly Stalone running around killing people. Hundreds of ways to die in this awesome action flick

9) You Don't Mess with the Zohan : Typical Sandler romp. complete fun! Inordinate amount of cameos...

8) The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian: Better battle scenes than the first movie, but the story fell flat in some areas. Not a bad sequel, but not exactly LOTR's inspiring either

7) The Incredible Hulk: Smashed Ang Lee's Hulk and good summer popcorn fun. Ed Norton makes any movie watchable

6) Kung Fu Panda: Jack Black and crew did a stellar job with this interesting take on kung fu and typical kid's message of believing in who you are, even if you are an outsider. Question though, is anyone in hollywood truly an outsider? How can people who have all their hair, have perfect teeth, incredible skin, toned bodies, and hot better halves really comment on what its like to be the screw-up ugly duckling...over and over again....

5) Charlie WIlson's War: Although this came out in 2007, I saw it in 2008 so it gets added to the list. Especially since it was smart, well written, and incredibly witty. Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, Tom Hanks, and Phillip Seymor Hoffman worked great together and the end result was a fantastic telling of a "true" story.

4) Cloverfield: Did it match the viral hype? I don't know, but it was a cool movie and was the standard bearer for me for the first 5 months of 2008!

3) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: The old man still has got it and Shia didn't completely piss me off in this movie. It was really good throughout although the end got a little weird for me, but as far as action movies go, Indiana did not disappoint

2) Juno: Endearing, funny, different. Juno was quirky and perfect. Soundtrack was really new and fresh as well. Everything about this movie was so good that I forgot that I saw it in 2008....(silly me) but I did see it in January, so it was early in the year.

and finally you should be able to guess number 1. It was a the surprise hit to many and kicked off Hollywood's summer...

1) IRONMAN: I don't have much to say about this other than that Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark makes so much sense now that you can't even imagine anyone else playing him. I think that wraps up why the movie (which was carried by Downey and not the costume) played so well! It is number 1 on my list and I'm sure on many others. Great movie, you should see it in the theater if you haven't yet before it goes away....

the end is here!!!

2008-05-28T19:31:00.002-04:00

Graduation is in the books and now I am hitting the books....HARD!

Day 3 of Bar Prep today, it is going to be a rough summer......so the blog will invariably suffer. I become more boring with each day this stuff stretches on, its all I can talk about......I think Lance is already sick of it.

Iron Man, Chronicles of Narnia, and Indiana Jones got the summer season started off right....hopefully the rest of the summer delivers.....

Hillary Girl

2008-04-03T14:48:00.002-04:00

This was just too good to pass up. Lance made a trip to Tallahassee recently, and who should he find there, but the one and only Hillary Girl!

This is going to take youtube by storm!

Movie Reveal

2008-03-22T14:14:00.002-04:00

1. Tommy Boy
2. Patton
3. My Cousin Vinnie
4. A Few Good Men
5. Ben-Hur
6. Pulp Fiction
7. Tombstone
8. Gone With the Wind (Rhett finishes it off with the iconic, "Frankly My Dear I don't give a damn" which would have given it away)
9. Office Space
10. Sixteen Candles

March Madness...Spring Break!

2008-03-20T10:11:00.002-04:00

My Final Four

North Carolina, Georgetown, UCLA, and Texas

So here is my thinking about the Final Four...

1. Kansas hasn't followed through since I have been following the tourney, and they kill people's brackets every year!!! Why is this, everyone agrees there is talent all over the place at Rock Chalk KU, but when it comes down to winning a ball game in the tourney, name a guy on that team you trust in the clutch. They don't have a guy with the cahones to knock down a big shot in a big spot. Some have claimed that part of their problem stems from the 'system' working so well during the season, they don't develop a player with the big ego, big shot that can create his own game winner. To win 6 straight you are going to have to pull out some tough games, I don't buy Kansas.

2. So that puts my faith in Clemson.... oh the horror! Am I blindsided by my love of Tiger Football Tradition? Maybe. But I like Mays down low and Rivers & Oglesby jacking shots from all over the floor! Oglesby was taking shots from 30 feet out in the ACC final, amazing. First tourney appearance since '98 I have them jumping Kansas in the Sweet Sixteen before gracefully bowing out to a more polished Georgetown Team. (But Briton you say, Clemson can't shoot worth a lick from the FT line, how will they beat Kansas in a close game? Well I only have that matchup on paper, I fully intend for Kansas to choke to Kent State....) But it is Clemson, so I will probably be rewarded with a first round 10 point loss to 'Nova as Jay Wright and his perfect hair is paraded around Tampa.

3. Maybe it is just that I have seen UF play UCLA and Georgetown over the past couple of tourney's so I am more familiar with their teams. I know people aren't sold on Hibbert being tough for 6 games and there are questions about the Bruins injuries (we need the Prince on the floor!) But I really think these are two polished teams poised to win it all. If Howland can't do it this year, it might not get done!

4. I have watched Texas and UNC the most this year. I like both teams. If Rick Barnes doesn't get in his team's way, UT can take it to the Final Four. I talked to Psycho T before making my picks and he promised not to blink the whole Tourney and promised that Lawson was going to continue to sprint down the floor and score end to end lay up baskets in 2.6 seconds (see Carolina's ACC run where multiple players did this in multiple games) You have to get back against the Tar Heels.

5. Another year without Duke in the Sweet Sixteen (Hooray), 'Zona makes it interesting before falling to Xavier (who's players all jersey pop while chanting "Midmajor Who"), The OJ Mayo Show outshines Beasley, Siena gets biggest round 1 upset, George Mason does not get round 2 at playing Cinderella, and the SEC are all home and comfortable by the end of the Sweet Sixteen...

Finally: The pick!

UCLA 79 UNC 73

Win won for the Wizard of Westwood, return basketball to its natural order after the Gators (NIT CHAMPS - 3 in a row however you can get it!) have run roughshod for two years. Three Reasons Carolina won't win: 1. They hate playing Defense, 2. Roy Williams spends too much time in the tanning bed before the Final Four press conferences thereby losing his mental edge on Howland 3. I know too many Carolina fans and they are pretty much insufferable.

Caveat: Memphis could so win the whole thing.... (I love March Madness!)

Stealing Kerri's idea....Movie Quote Post!

2008-03-13T12:21:00.009-04:00

Ok.. Here are 10 movies I really like. Maybe not my all-time top 10 list but these 10 would definitely be in my top 20, they are just the movies I thought of off the top of my head that had some great quotes. Name the movie and I'll give you credit for it in the blog. Double bonus if you can name the character that says it. If Vance has to do all of these by himself that wouldn't be fair so everyone needs to come through on this! haha.

Obviously you could find these on imdb or google, but try them out for yourself before cheating....If Trae ever read the blog he would get about 5 of these without even trying hard, but hopefully the rest of you can get them too.

1. “The point is, how do you know the fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? ‘Building model airplanes’ says the little fairy; well, we're not buying it. He sneaks into your house once, that's all it takes. The next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser, and your daughter's knocked up. I seen it a hundred times.”

2. “Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.”

3. “Imagine you're a deer. You're prancing along. You get thirsty. You spot a little brook. You put your little deer lips down to the cool, clear water - BAM. A fuckin' bullet rips off part of your head. Your brains are lying on the ground in little bloody pieces. Now I ask ya, would you give a fuck what kind of pants the son-of-a-bitch who shot you was wearing?” Mona Lisa Vito My Cousin Vinny (Becky K., super proud she got this one and knew A Few Good Men, though Michael beat her to the call)

4. ~~“Oh, I forgot. You were sick the day they taught law at law school.”~~ Lt. Daniel Kaffee A Few Good Men (Michael P. got it right, first one down!)

5. “If I cannot persuade them, that does not mean I will help you...‘murder’ them. Besides, you must understand this. I believe in the past of my people, and in their future.”
“Future? You are a conquered people!”
“You may conquer the land. You may slaughter the people. But that is not the end. We will rise again.”

6. “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

7. ~~“Nonsense, I have not yet begun to defile myself.”~~ Doc Holliday Tombstone (Good job Vance)

8. “My darling, you're such a child. You think that by saying, "I'm sorry," all the past can be corrected. Here, take my handkerchief. Never, at any crisis of your life, have I known you to have a handkerchief.”
“Where are you going?”
“I'm going back to Charleston, back where I belong.”
“Please, please take me with you!”
“No, I'm through with everything here. I want peace. I want to see if somewhere there isn't something left in life of charm and grace. Do you know what I'm talking about?”
“No! I only know that I love you.”
“That's your misfortune.”

9. “ What would you do if you had a million dollars?”
“I'll tell you what I'd do, man: two chicks at the same time, man.”
“That's it? If you had a million dollars, you'd do two chicks at the same time?”
“Damn straight. I always wanted to do that, man. And I think if I were a millionaire I could hook that up, too; 'cause chicks dig dudes with money’.”
“Well, not all chicks.”
“Well, the type of chicks that'd double up on a dude like me do.”
“Good point.”
Lawrence and Peter Office Space (Vance)

10. “I do independent study with her. I catch her lookin' at me a lot. It's kinda cool, the way she's always lookin' at me.”
“Maybe she's retarded”
“I'm being serious, ok. She looks at me like she's in love with me.” Jake Ryan 16 Candles (Tara)

for something completely different...

2008-02-26T00:33:00.005-05:00

I would like to draw attention to the fact that since Pat has "revealed" the reason for Superboy Lives on February 13, 2008 he has failed to have a single new post. Oh I've heard stories about a post about a skittles commercial, but now that I have heard the story three times I think that post would be anticlimactic. Since he has already told Kerri and I about the potential post, it would ring stale by now.

Pat has definitely entered the niche world of blogging. The super hero/comic angle is one that is very interesting, especially to a comic book novice like myself, but it requires Pat to be committed to coming up with original and insightful posts. In addition his Adam West posts and observations were really entertaining and funny so he has set the bar high for himself.

Dare I say Pat has peaked? Is it possible that he is suffering from a fear of not being nearly as funny as he was in the first few weeks? I do not dare say that (i'm not nearly that controversial), but I would encourage him to continue to work and create his craft. He cannot let the fear of a few less than stellar posts keep him from writing. He must engage and blog! Don't be fooled into thinking he is busy, we all know better than that. (Why just last week he played with a blogger counter and site recorder for hours to see where the hits were coming from when he could have been creating a new post.) I don't know why Pat won't post 2, 3, or preferably 4 times a week, but hopefully this public outcry will resonate! Join me in prompting Pat's attention to his blog....Superboy is counting on it.

Take it off W!

2008-02-21T15:04:00.001-05:00

Nothing like a dance in Liberia to get you going!

Company: Being Alive

2008-02-21T13:31:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite shows from last season on Broadway. Sondheim's musicals are great and Raul Esparza knocked this performance out of the water.

PBS played it last night, check out PBS for local listings. It is on NY13 again on Sunday, I have the DVR already set up.

Interesting side note trivia. Mary Mitchell Cambell directed the Orchestra in the revival is a Furman Grad, I believe 1996.

Raul is currently in the critically acclaimed play The Homecoming, hopefully back in a musical soon!

Mall Madness

2008-02-20T02:06:00.001-05:00

Cha-Chiiing!

2008-02-20T02:02:00.005-05:00

Year 1996: My 7 year old sister receives Mall Madness for Christmas.....Life would never be the same!

Although this unheralded Milton Bradley classic had been around since 1988, rereleased as "Electronic Mall Madness" (serious technology upgrades) in 1989/1990 , it wasn't until 1996 that Kristin and I got our "first" credit and ATM cards. We spent hours running across that two story mall searching for sales, bargains, and clearances.

As long as that robotic bitch didn't screw you over with "Wowee, line's too long. Try back later." or "Uh-oh you left your car lights on." you were golden. I was a shrewd player so I always beat my sister and her friends, they could never quite hit those sales and cross off that shopping list with the speed necessary to be victorious at the Madness.

I hated having to meet a friend for pizza at the food court, didn't my friend know I had to finish my shopping list, if only the game had been equipped with cell phones! By far the worst was being told by the bank you were out of money and I think this was a common pitfall for Kristin, she would always overpay early for something that every good shopper knew was going to be put on sale later in the game.

I feel like they probably played Mall Madness on Full House, which could have been a great subplot for episode 172, season 8, I've Got a Secret where: "Michelle is excited to be part of her very own secret club with some friends, but things get messy when Danny accidentally reveals that he knows about the Mighty Mutant Super Kids, and Michelle's buddies kick her out of the group. Alienated by his daughter, Danny just might have a shot at redeeming himself when Joey gives him a little heads-up about a potential peace offering at a local toy store. Meanwhile, shortly after DJ breaks up with Nelson, she is taken aback when a certain friend tries wiggling her way into his heart" (generously lifted from tv.com)

The DJ/Nelson romance was doomed from the start and really lame and a waste of time, we should have had Michelle playing Mall Madness with Nicki, Alex, and Comet! Hell if there had not already been a board game perhaps this episode could have been named Mall Madness. (Joel Zwick and the rest of FH crew could have had no idea how right they were about crazy mob parents in 1994. It would be just a short couple of Christmas seasons later that parents everywhere would be fighting for Tickle Me Elmo!

In case you were curious Danny screws up in true parent fashion because he can't fight off the other parents for the last Super Fortress Game and tries to buy it off some sketchy guy on the street (actually credited as seedy guy on imdb). No surprise when Aaron (The biggest child douche on TV!) blows the whistle on the game being a fake knock off. Michelle felt about as low as I did when my mom bought me Reebok Preseason 96's in 1998! Luckily everything came together in a nice neat little bow at the end of the 22 and half minute episode. How did it turn out? You'll have to watch....or ask Kerri!

I couldn't find a clip but can't you just hear Aaron sassing off to Danny, little bastard. And we don't even have time to start to deal with Derek's issues (I'll save that for a review of the Yankee Doodle Dandy Episode)....

Aaron: Super fake!
Lisa: Yeah, this isn't an official Super Fortress. Super Mandy looks like Abraham Lincoln!
Derek: And I believe the evil Fungo bears a striking resemblance to Herbert Hoover.
Aaron: This is just a cheap imitation.
Danny: Cheap? I paid $75 to a guy in an alley for this stuff!

Rocking Out

2008-02-19T11:34:00.003-05:00

Rock Band has become my favorite game on xbox 360. I enjoyed it right from the time i bought it, but quickly became bored with it as medium was too easy and hard was seemingly impossible. Finally one fateful (ie - boring) January night I sat down and made myself practice my favorite song on hard, (Mississippi Queen) until I was able to beat it. I have now completed 22 songs on Hard and can even get through 5 songs on Expert.

I am currently having trouble right now with Gimme Shelter and Enter Sandman. But they too will soon be beaten

Justin and I have a band and are on a world tour and I had to get better at Hard if we were going to get more fans. Currently we are up to about 272,000 fans and have to beat a 4 song set list which includes Enter Sandman if we are to take it to the next level. Our band is La Revolucion! I play guitar and Justin of course is rocking out on the drums.

Be on the lookout for a concert near you!!!

Feminism 101

2008-02-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

Wills Class:

an exercise in feminism and gender acceptance.....

and im not talking about the case law!

THE HUMAN BODY IS BEAUTIFUL

Where did the semester go?

2007-12-07T15:49:00.000-05:00

I don't know.... the novelty of blogging wore off and I got an xbox 360. I am back in action though....putting my thoughts to type and getting crazy blogger style.

I did complete my goal of going to 5 concerts this semester. Live music is awesome. I saw a wide range of musical styles and enjoyed every show. I would have to say though that the best performance was John Butler Trio. Find their music, this man can Jam!

aight...all for now. I just had to update so pat can add a link for my blog on is blog site. I will use this...even if its just for me!

Who is ready to leave...

2007-08-02T05:59:00.000-04:00

I am!!!! Don't get me wrong, I've had a great time and the people have been great, but I am ready to move on. I am excited to explore some of Thailand and Australia. I really think 3 weeks is a bit long in Suzhou, without being more connected to the city either through a school or job. But we are constrained time wise with the class so the walk to class, go to class, go to lunch, have group work in the afternoon and then repeat over and over again has gotten old. I'm ready to see more stuff and I think the "familiarity breeds contempt" line could never be more true....I definitely am over the commercial nature of Shi Qian Street and the walk back and forth from our hotel to the law school. There is so much else to see. That is why I enjoyed the past weekend so much, cause we got out there and saw some stuff off the beaten path. Its too bad that I won't get to go west into the naturally beautiful part of China, but that will be another trip and I definitely am going to go look for some nature in Australia.....and some Fresh Air!!!!....haha.

As I finish this I laugh because the first pregnant woman I have seen in China just came into the coffee shop......crazy.

Winding down in China...

2007-07-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

Here is me in front of MingXiao Ling on Purple Mountain. The Ming Tombs were built at the end of the 1300s and it is quite an impressive use of space and many of the structures and original layout of the grounds remains relatively unchanged. As the program is winding down, our work is cranking up. I had a great weekend visiting two Chinese cities. The ancient capital of Nanjing, and the sprawling metropolis of Shanghai. It was quite an adventurous weekend. Peter, Jason, and I walked and walked and walked some more in 102 degree weather. But it was totally worth it.

This picture is the East Water Pass in Nanjing (1200 AD), it originally stood almost 50 feet. What is still standing is around 35-40 feet high. Although you dont get the true massiveness of it from this picture. Pictures from Shanghai are on Jason's camera, will post later....forgot to charge the battery...doh.

Master of the Nets Garden

2007-07-24T21:33:00.000-04:00

Suzhou is famous for its "Gardens" and Master of the Nets is one of the four famous gardens and is "noted for its use of Space" meaning that it has some pretty awesome rooms in around a small lake. We saw several traditional art forms last night. Here are some pictures from the Garden which was originally constructed under the Song Dynasty in 1140 AD. I'm going to go back during the day to get some better pictures of the actual use of rocks, plants, water, and timber.

Intro to Chinese Dating...

2007-07-22T23:40:00.000-04:00

You may laugh, and you may not believe me. But dating in China is fraught with both cliche's and interesting for its extremely simple nature. From the info we have gleaned there seem to be a few standards or goals for dating and almost all the students we have met have a girlfriend or boyfriend. The aspirations are as such...

1. Find boyfriend or girlfriend (pretty simple considering A. the number of people and B. the fact that just "talking" or going out on dates pretty much assures gf or bf status).

2. Buy couple's t-shirts. Shirts that are similar style but slightly different for the guys and girls.

3. Take photo booth photo in couples t-shirt. Carry said pictures in wallet or locket from that point forward.

4. Go to an Amusement Park together.

5. Hold hands

6. Kiss

Pretty simple.....haha. Granted these are just generalizations...although it seemed to be pretty common among almost all of the students we have met. Crazy

2007-07-22T21:19:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures from our group quest on Saturday. I don't know why my text is underlined. Bloggins seems to be more difficult each day. Haha. THe first picture is in front of the Bingling Library. The second picture is in front of the east gate of Suzhou University. My team members from left to right in the top picture Zhang Zhu, Xu Qing, Me, and Gan Xue. I have a video I will try and post as well. Cheers

Where is the third world country?

2007-07-19T22:09:00.000-04:00

China?.....or Long Island, where my car was flooded by a flash flood. Fun times.....i am tired of typing so I will just post some pictures.....note the difference between traditional Suzhou and the Modern Industrial Park, which is a China-Singapore joint venture. There are hundreds of western style aparment buildings and business developments.

Just ridin the bus to Auchun....

2007-07-17T17:46:00.000-04:00

Last night I went with my Chinese roommate John (Zhao Xin) and one of his friend's Eldora to the equivalent of Chinese Wal-Mart, Auchun....which they told me was a French supermarket. We took the local bus four stops which was quite an experience. Driving in China is kind of every person for themselves and there are no real rules anyone has to follow. But our bus only had to slam on the brakes one time, and I was told, this was not a bad journey....The bus ride was only one yuan, so about 13 cents.

I can never complain about crowded stores in America again. Literally thousands of people were in this place and I'm only mad that I did not have my camera with me to document it. I am sure I will return there and take pictures of the awe inspiring masses. Literally, there was everything you could possibly want there so I bought some ritz crackers, an umbrella, oreos, a chinese pop cd, and some school supplies, all for about 12 dollars.

When we left the store I offered my two chinese hosts a ride back to the hotel in a taxi. They were a little reticent because of the cost, but I told them that it would be my gift for them taking me to the store and helping me find everything. The 2.8 kilometer ride cost 10 yuan or just about $1.30. The same ride would have been around 10-15 dollars in Manhattan, so it is quite shocking the difference in price and what is considered expensive.

I have been enjoying the class so far, today we actually start the real teamwork, we have been doing a comparative review the last two days. Our team is made up of 5 chinese students, 2 Americans, and a Danish student. We are representing a German Company. I think we have some advantages because the other American speaks Chinese fairly well, so we have a link to get over language or semantic road blocks.

All for now....

Welcome to Shanghai

2007-07-14T22:21:00.001-04:00

Boy, The Ritz Carlton sure knows how to do it right!!! Only one day here and already enjoying myself. Chinese TV is fun. Weather has been pretty overcast so far, but hopefully it will clear up soon. This is the view outside of my hotel room, and that is not even a major section in Shanghai....I leave you with this.....A view of the ridiculous money situation and amazing buying power of the US Dollar in China....Sweet.

So it begins....

2007-07-13T06:41:00.000-04:00

The trip is officially underway..... Getting ready to board the plane at Newark International.....hopefully there will be pictures of China once I get things running over there!

Everyone have a great weekend!

see you when I get back from the far east...

Briton

wow

2007-06-26T13:24:00.000-04:00

Time flies....and i am not using this blog....so much so that vance is probably going to take me off his redirect soon. which would be sad....cause my blog will be exciting...maybe......hopefully.

I am leaving for China in less than 3 weeks...and the new digital camera is ready to go. So that means that i should have pictures and posts from the Orient right? we'll see. Don't give up on me just yet. haha

hope everyone (which means all 4 of you) that reads this is doing well. Summer is going to be over before you know it.......

Lame

2007-04-28T15:43:00.000-04:00

I hate the dolphins......a trained monkey could run a better draft.

i also hate that i have not blogged better. this summer it is going to be my most favorite thing to do.

Yankees blow....

Finals = No Fun

Bulls are ready to sweep!!!

Rain Sucks

2007-03-26T10:42:00.000-04:00

Suck Town, its going to be nice all week, but then just in time for the weekend of spring break - we're going to throw rain all over the northeast. BOOOO!

at least it gives me an excuse to stay in the casino longer.

Spring Break....

2007-03-19T09:40:00.000-04:00

Is right around the corner and trying to firm up some plans.... I think it is going to look like some combination of Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Boston. Should be a lot of fun.... and have gotten suprisingly good deals on hotels. Very Nice.

Recent DVD adventures....all standbys but forgot how much I enjoyed these movies last fall.

Casino Royale, Borat, The Departed

I hope that the movies coming out in a few weeks match up to these. Went to the theater the other day and there was nothing worth seeing except for 300 which I had already been to. March is boring!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2007-03-17T17:32:00.000-04:00

All things green and wonderful, beer in the morning and four leaf clovers all around. I had big plans for accomplishing some work on the paper today, but the NCAA tourney has negated that. As it stands we had a swell time last night for Pat's 25th birthday. It was muy classy.

Tip of the day,

Jon Favreau movies, I have been in the dark about these comedic masterpieces. He's got great delivery and plays a good straight man to Vince Vaughn's craziness. Three suggestions if you are keen enough to keep up with a lil offbeat but true to life humor.

Made, Love and Sex, and the cult classic Swingers:

"I don't want you to be the guy in the PG-13 movie everyone's *really* hoping makes it happen. I want you to be like the guy in the rated R movie, you know, the guy you're not sure whether or not you like yet. You're not sure where he's coming from. Okay? You're a bad man. You're a bad man, Mikey. You're a bad man, bad man."

Trent: I'm gonna find me two waitresses here and I'm gonna pull me a Fredo.
Mike: Yeah, well they're all skanks.
Trent: What are talking about? Look at all the beautiful babies here.
Mike: The beautiful babies don't work the midnights-to-six on a Wednesday. This is the skank shift.
Trent: Look at all the beautiful honeys here.

Wow

2007-03-09T10:31:00.000-05:00

Over a week already...I'm dissapointing myself in my ability to blog. Time sure does go by fast, maybe if I could do it as a full time job? Then I would be on top of it. A couple of things....

1. I have the rest of my NY list, but I'm looking for some video/audio to go along with it, may not happen, but I'm trying to make the blog more entertaining

2. I got into Cornell's Summer Institute in Suzhou, China so I ship out in July... I'm very excited.

3. I saw 300 last night at the midnight showing. It was very good, I was suprised given how dark and sinister Sin City was, this didn't seem to match that intensity. But I thought it was a very good, fun movie with some great battle scenes.

4. Friends are coming to town over the next couple of weeks, so that will be a busy time and a lot of fun.

Hopefully friends are enjoying this blog, but even if not, I know that Vance reads, and an audience of 1 is all you need to get things started.....ha

New York List

2007-03-01T12:43:00.000-05:00

This is a list of things that you are or are not likely to hear in NYC and the surrounding area. Some are actual phrases, others are labels and terms. Needless to say this list is not exhaustive, and there may be some really good ones I left off, but this is what comes to mind at the present moment. So here is the list 10 - 6...

10. Fugget about it/ Fuggitaboutit - While I have never actually heard this used since I have been here, it is part of NY lore in movies, tv shows, history, and even on the signs when you are leaving Brooklyn. No list would be complete without it.
Most Likely to hear it: If you frequent heavily Italian sections of Brooklyn or you have friends that pretend to be a badass like Tony Soprano.

9. I didn't want to drive all the way out to Long Island - While I understand politically Long Island refers to the eastern 4/5ths of the Island comprising Nassau and Suffolk counties, you sound like a tool when you are coming from Queens 15 minutes away and make it sound like you crossed the Sarengeti to get there. Newsflash, Brooklyn and Queens are on Long Island.
Most Likely to hear it: From a resident of Queens or Brooklyn who do not realize they have more in common with "Long Island" then they ever will with Manhattan.

8. I'm from da Bronx - Suprisingly, I have heard this a lot and I think it stems from the overall toughness associated with one who is "From the Bronx" and yet still alive and in front of you. If you really are from the Bronx, you have history.
Most Likely to hear it: At a New York College or University, when attending a Yankee's game (located in the Bronx), from someone who has gained success but wants to pay homage to their roots.

7. 'You a Knicks Fan?', "When they're Good." - You may recognize this line from the movie Hitch. I have to say, they hit the nail right on the head with this one, as everyone in the NY metro area is a Knicks fan, (you are kidding yourself if you say Nets). But New Yorkers aren't afraid to sit at the Garden and not cheer if the team is blowing a game to the Bobcats. While they have been better at home this season, you haven't seen a true dis until you see a sold out arena completely silent in utter disgust. It is surreal. Way worse than boobirds or not showing up to the game at all.
Most Likely to hear it: NYC sports bars, actually at a Knicks game

6. B & T Crowd - Derogatory term applied by Manhattanites to people who use bridges or tunnels to come into their beloved Manhattan. Often referring to the crowd that frequents a particular bar, club, or restaurant. Sometimes I think it is worse to be a B & T than a tourist.
Most Likely to hear it: Used by someone who is really from some place else, like Omaha, NE but thinks they are super chic and superior because they have a dingy apt. on the 6th floor of a building with no elevator in the Village. Buddy, you are no more manhattan than I am.
Even so I always say I'm from an Island in Florida and not Long Island, sounds exotic.

As I sit in Debtor Creditor....

2007-02-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

I learn that my student loans are not dischargeable under bankruptcy law......Awesome!

I am going to go ahead and chalk Friday night up as a wonderfully irresponsible night out on the town. I don't know if it was the over excitement that comes along with a Will Hoge concert (who was awesome) @ the Bowery. Or the fact that we we were out for Kenny's birthday @ a place called American Trash (classy no?). The short of it is that by the end of the night I was dancing and taking tequila shots with a bride -to-be and her sister (very nice). Finally I bid adieu to Manhattan and left behind a little piece of me in the form of my cell phone and gloves before crashing in my bed at 530 am.

What happened next was truly amazing. On Saturday I was so mad I lost my phone until I checked my email and this was waiting for me from Adam.

"Sparkman: You left your phone in a cab last night. I know because the cab driver called me to get your address and he is going to drop it in the mail tonight. You must have been one drunk son of a bitch last night. Of course, I envy you. I'll catch you later."

And they say new yorkers aren't nice. Apologies to Adam and Libby who got calls from the over zealous cabbie who called each of them at 5 am. In order to make up for my Friday night I spent Saturday by going to the Astronaut Farmer (a very fine movie btw) and later playing Scategories (sans alcohol).

Sunday was the completion of my National Championship collage, it looks pretty good. That is all for now......

So it has come to this...

2007-02-22T23:02:00.000-05:00

I think mostly this blog will be a cathartic exercise. Through this adventure I will be able to post tidbits about my thoughts, interests, and life. Ultimately, I will refrain from the blogging mistake of publishing opinions, information, or facts that could be detrimental to my professional or private life. So it's Briton Lite. Just because your speech is protected, it doesn't mean it can't hurt you.

The title of the blog comes from a Lawyer's phrase, which basically means, for the sake of argument. So most likely one would use it in a brief or memo in the following way, "Assuming Arguendo the facts are correct as you contend, you lose and I win on this legal premise". How effective this device is, no one really knows, but we use it because it makes us feel good as lawyers to bring up a legal point without actually admitting anything.

Finally, I leave you with one of the best music videos of all time. Cherish it for its classically 80s style, approach, and simplicity. Whenever I need to be pumped up, Journey gets me there!

Separate Ways

2007-02-22T19:20:00.001-05:00

The One, The Only

Journey