Ethics

A commercial started off with some chefs at an 'Italian' or 'Tuscan' looking culinary institute. At first I thought it was for the Olive Garden. Yet the commercial turned out to be for Fancy Feast, a brand of cat food. Why the hell would a cat deserve a meal prepared by an Italian or Tuscan trained chef? For that matter, why is wet pet food even tolerated? I'm pretty sure dry pet food is perfectly nutritious. 

I went to mass on Sunday night to try to give my mind an hour of peace. And it worked. I didn't think about the bar exam the entire time. However, I did consider the ethics of charitable giving. Not that giving to charities is bad, but claiming those contributions for tax-related deductions. If you claim those contributions, doesn't that nullify the purpose of giving? Giving to charity should be about giving up your hard earned income. You are giving with the purpose of providing for the less fortunate, not so that you can get a break on your taxes. 

I've also been thinking about torture. This summer in Dublin I took a course in international human rights. For a few classes we discussed torture and under what circumstances it should be permitted. This season on 24 has Jack before a Senate committee for his supposed violations of U.S. torture policy. Now much time has been wasted about what exactly constitutes torture (waterboarding, shabeh-chair, etc.), but what Jack does is no doubt torture. An argument that has been successfully made, at least by the Israeli Supreme Court (and recognized by the European Court of Human Rights), is that torture should be permitted only when the victim has information necessary to stop an imminent terrorist attack on a mass of people. I'm not sure why Jack doesn't make this argument, as it seems all of the situations he is in directed at preventing a terrorist attack. 

Soap on a Rope

I've noticed that my skin is pretty dry. I was wondering why, because I have been drinking plenty of fluids. So I went to WebMD. 

Apparently showers and soap can actually make your skin dry. Hot water washes off the lipids that keep your skin moisturized. Soap can do the same. Accordingly, we shouldn't take hot showers - only lukewarm. Furthermore, soap should only be used on hands, feet, underarms and groin - the areas that get dirty or sweaty. 

Interesting, eh?

It's Trendy to Like Politics

All the celebrities are doing it. In addition to a minimum of one million "average Joe" tourists descending upon D.C. for inauguration, there are TONS of celebs coming to town. It is out of control. While I was never filled with "Obamania", all the fanfare and hype has really turned me into an inauguration grinch. ( I am intrigued by the concept of the Huffington Post's party). I will, however, accept this excuse to drink copious amount of alcohol and enjoy a four-day weekend. Speaking of the weekend, my eighteen year-old sister is descending upon D.C. as I type this. Do any of the chad-mini readers have thoughts on what you do with a <21?

DVR

I try to end my studying my 8 or 9, but sometimes it goes longer. Nonetheless, I have been DVRing shows nightly so that I have something to watch to take my mind off of things. Here is my list of shows, but I would appreciate any other recommendations. 

Monday - 24

Tuesday - Nip/Tuck

Wednesday - LOST (Woo Hoo!)

Thursday - The Office/30 Rock

Friday - Friday Night Lights

Weak-end?

It is hard to tell that it is the weekend when you still have class and numerous hours of studying to do. Nonetheless, I still managed to get in a movie and watch the Chargers game. My only comment about the game was that the ball really did not bounce the Chargers way - like when it bounces off a player's helmet on a punt. 

I went to see The Spirit with my roommate because it was playing at a convenient time (not too late for me and early enough for him to still be able to go out). The movie was very entertaining and filled with beautiful women. It was not quite as cartoony as Sin City, so it was a little more realistic. I had no prior knowledge about the graphic novel, but the movie fills you in well enough. There were actually some humorous moments, which made it enjoyable. And of course, there was the mandatory Samuel L. Jackson screaming lines. My only complaint were the two individuals sitting behind me, who, to my presumption were high. They were laughing in the previews at horror/scary movies and at moments in the film that were not funny whatsoever. 

I have been studying in the Thomas Jefferson law library, to avoid any student distractions at USD as well as having to pay for another semester's parking permit. I did overhear though, that alumni can get parking passes for free. I'm not sure why I didn't pursue that before my three years post-undergraduation. Of interesting note at the TJ law library is the presumably transient individuals using the legal materials. I understand that the library is open to the public and a warm place, but I'm not sure of the nature of proceedings that they are working on. That is, whether they are working on something legitimate or whether they are disillusioned about their project. Nonetheless, my cable lock for my computer reassures any preconceived notions I might have. 

More Often Than Not

Well it certainly has been a busy week and a half. But probably not too busy to skip the blog altogether, like I have done. 

I drove out to Phoenix for New Years and had a glorious time with the Maller/Isbell clan. Free golf and meals was a very nice treat to tack on to the incredibly inexpensive drive out there. For some reason my car was getting 40mpg, and on the way back I was only halfway done with my tank and already at 300 miles.

As soon as I got home I decided to shave the disgusting mustache (beard) I had grown over the past two weeks. I'm sure Kristin's parents as well as their friends didn't approve of my hobo/transient/vagrant/bum look, and I regret not shaving it before the trip. Once they got to know me though, they soon understood my character. 

The Garmin I got for Christmas was a wonderful companion and statistician for the trip, and I am now truly grateful for owning it. Also, props to Arizona for having a 75mph speed limit! Radi-cool!

I always thought that when people referred to the 'Mexicans' standing outside Home Depot, that it was just a joke. However, when I stopped by to get a garage door remote, I did indeed notice probably 50-60 'Mexicans' waiting for work on both sides of the street. Perhaps because the contracting industry is slow, along with the economy, but there seemed to be a great amount of them just waiting around. And this was mid-day. 

Monday marked the beginning of a seven week affair with the bar review course. So far I have been pretty impressed with how they can pack a semester's worth of material into four hours. The program that they have us doing after class is quite demanding, but I know that they are the best in the biz and if I stick to their plan, I will pass. Six to eight hours outside of class means 10-12 hours a day of preparing for the bar. This is going to be a long seven weeks.