Everyone's officially ditched me and Bruce for Cancun. This means that if I wanted to I could be a stereotype and throw an epic party. That would require having a lot of people to invite and while I do have friends, they are all scattered around the state and/or world. Also, that means I'd have to clean up a mess. Also that just doesn't sound fun in general.

I could also set up a bunch of contraptions a la Home Alone just in case someone tries to burgle the house. That also takes effort and creativity.

Instead, Bruce and I will chill out as we are right now. Maybe he'll actually walk to the park tomorrow and not ask to be carried halfway. And Chris comes here on Tuesday. We've got some fun things planned. There's apparently some big pirate festival in Vallejo next weekend.

The externship has been fun. I can't believe I'm about 1/4 of the way through. I have a feeling this summer's going to go by super fast.

The waking up part hasn't been as fun, I guess. Oh well. I'm going to have to do this 9-5 thing some day, right? Can't be a student forever.

Grades all came out. I did surprisingly well this semester. If you had asked me what i thought my 1L grades would be, I certainly would not have guessed that. My property grade was the most surprising. I was 95% sure I got a C or worse in that class. Anyway, I feel like I'm going to get an email one of these days reading "just kidding. here are your actual grades." We find out rankings next week. That should be interesting.

I never really wrote about the weeks between finals and externship. They consisted of a couple of trips to SoCal, meeting Mandy Moore and Ryan from the Office (aka BJ Novak), having kogi tacos, watching all three seasons of Veronica Mars (very upset with the way it ended), Mr. Pizza (after an unsuccsesful trip to get kogi tacos for a second time), and a lot of relaxing/not doing law school stuff. In a nutshell.

Also finished a couple of books:

#22 - Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars



View all my reviews.

Fascinating Read. I'm not sure when we're actually getting together for that book club meeting, but it was a fascinating read. Definitely a recommended book. Learned a lot about food.

Book #23 Sandman - Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman

The Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars



View all my reviews.


Been super curious about this series for quite some time. I wasn't sure wihch one to get first, so I chose this one because it had a pretty cover. Quite a trip. I <3 Neil Gaiman.

I went into hibernation mode since finals finished apparently. I'll post later to update with all of the fun stuff I did. I started the externship on Monday. It's been pretty fun. I finished my first project today. I also ate lunch in a jury box. I bet you're jealous.

Anyway, the reason I'm here to post is mostly to say how absolutely excited I am that not one, but two Monkey Island games are being released this summer. I've heard the rumors of the SMI remake floating around, but hadn't heard about the other one. Apparently they've been showing it all off at G3. They've redone the animation for Secret of Monkey Island. I guess they want to introduce it to a new generation of gamers. I'm kind of torn about this. I feel a special level of nerd seniority being able to Insult Swordfight against people who have no idea that obviously the response to "You fight like a dairy farmer" is "How appropriate, you fight like a cow." On the other hand, more people need to enjoy the awesome that is Monkey Island.

Also means that there is money to spend this summer on games.

Speaking on my very mature law student behavior, I finished bok #21. I've kind of fallen off the wagon on this reading thing. I think it's because of all the traveling back and forth across California and the lack of a steady gym schedule.

Book #21

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars



View all my reviews.

It was super good. I've been on a graphic novel thing ever since reading Watchmen. And on an Alan Moore kick because he's kind of awesome. I really enjoyed V for Vendetta. It was pretty different from the movie (which I really want to watch again now), but I don't think it was different in a bad way. I don't know. Because I liked both of those so much, I may have to give League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and From Hell another chance.

But maybe not yet. I read Omnivore's Dilemma next. A bunch of us are starting a book club and that's our first book. I was actually holding off on reading that one for the book club.

That's it. Will post a longer thing later.

Also, I finished Book #20 on Monday.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars



View all my reviews.


It was very funny. Always meant to read one of his books. Love his writing style

Well, first things first. I am done with finals! I turned in my Enviro law final 2:49, almost 20 minutes before it was due. W00t. The 30 hour final was pretty grueling, but it wasn't quite as tiring as i thought it would be. It was kind of like waiting until the last minute to write a paper. The questions were hard, but I managed.

Even had time for an American Idol break. Kris was so good last night. I hope Danny gets kicked off. Also, I really hope they get rid of Kara. She brings nothing to the show. And Adam was terrible. People need to stop encouraging that.

In case you're wondering, this is what a 30 hour final looks like...



To celebrate, I am going to let my brain relax for a while. Am watching S.Darko, which is the sequel to Donnie Darko. I watched it out of morbid curiosity, for the lulz, and because Chuck's in it. So far, it is absolutely terrible. Words don't even describe. I am not sure what I expected. There isn't even good music in it so far. I mean, I don't know what to expect when it came straight to DVD, was not directed by Richard Kelly (though, I can't give him much credit anymore because Southland Lands was terrible), and the only cast member who returned was Samara from the Ring. Also no Jake and mullet Alex. I think Frank might actually make an appearance *cross fingers.* If not, this movie and I are done professionally. Apparently Seth Rogen was in Donnie Darko as well. I found that out earlier this year. Anyway, I'm hoping this movie might get better.

Anyway, speaking of Chuck, I was not a big fan of Monday's episode. They cut the prom episode in half to introduce that Valley Girls spin off. The spin off, which may not be happening anymore, was pretty bad. Little Lily and her sister sounded terribly valley girl for people who recently moved from NY. Also, there was no Rufus. And the No Doubt cameo they've been hyping for months wasn't that exciting. Those are my thoughts. Season finale of that next week. And LOST tonight. I'm going back to watching this terrible movie.

Book #18


American Gods by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars



View all my reviews.

Third thing I've read by Neil Gaiman. This has to have been my favorite. It was pretty epic. Pretty much all of the ancient gods, myths, and legends are living in America. They get into this major clash with the modern things that America worships (like the Internet, TV, etc.) and there's a big war.

Which doesn't make any sense if you haven't read it, but it's pretty cool.

Book #19
Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars



View all my reviews.

I expected this book to be a little more interesting than it was. It was fun until maybe the halfway point and then it felt like the authors were trying way to hard to be satirical and the whole thing kind of fizzled.



Other than that, I am halfway through finals. Contracts was okay. Property was slightly trauamatizing. Now I've got to plow through my last two finals. The ones I'm less prepared for.

I went home for the weekend. James's confirmation. It was a lot of fun. I knew I wasn't going to get as much property studying in as I would want for the weekend, so I studied a lot for it during that dead week between the end of classes and the contracts final. I don't think it was the studying that would have prepped me for it. Whatever.

Saw Wolverine this weekend. It was fun. Except like Gambit kept on losing his accent which was slightly annoying. Also, they kind of killed the Deadpool storyline. And why was Chahlie only in there for 13 seconds? I don't know. It was a fun movie though. A LOT better than X3. That doesn't say much though.

That's about it. I should go dig myself into the world of constitutional law. I actually was up by myself at 8 this morning. I think that was because I was out by midnight. I'm proud. Going to sell books in a bit and then celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Mexican food in the Mission for lunch.

Also, I'm not digging this St. Vincent album as much as the first one. Hm...

I'm going to play around with more fun internet features and actually use the blog features that goodreads gives me. I actually finished this about a week and a half ago, but just hadn't gotten around to posting it. Almost done with the book I'm currently reading too. Woot.

Book #17

Broken by Daniel Clay

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars



View all my reviews.


the book as kind of like a modern day to kill a mockingbird. i picked it up at the sf library bookstore a couple of weeks ago, mostly because it had a cool looking cover and the plot on the back cover intrigued me. i really enjoyed it. am actually tempted to go back and reread to kill a mockingbird at some point now. it's about an 11 year old girl who is telling the story about how she came to be in a coma. it was one of those books that was hard to put down. because i read when i work out, that actually meant that i wanted to work out for 5-10 minutes longer than usual. strange, isn't it?

First things first: Happy Earth Day!

I'm taking a break as I head into the final stretch of my Contracts Outline. I'm debating trying to cut out crap from this (which would fit in the spirit of Earth Day), but I'm afraid that'd be a monster in itself. I might have to live with this near-60 page monster of a Contracts Outline. I'm afraid of how long the other ones are going to be. Soon, I will be making an outline to this outline (this actually helped with some of the other finals I did last semester).

Enough of that, though. Before one of my favorite contestants of this season might possibly be in the bottom for a second time this season and actually get kicked off, I wanted to share my current thoughts on the Idol Contestants.

My favorite three are Allison, Kris, and Matt.

I didn't like Matt at the beginning of the competition. I think I started liking him around country week, but his performance during Motown week is what made me a fan. I was very sad when I first heard that he was going to be kicked off last week. Glad the judges used their save. He can be very hit or miss though. His Fray performance was absolutely terrible and his performance tonight sounded like N Sync doe the Bee Gees (but not in a good way). Actually I think N Sync did Staying Alive at some point in time, but I don't recall. Don't have enough power to dig into that part of my brain right now.

Allison's been one of my favorites for the entire competition. She's got an amazing voice. Not just for a 16 year old, but just in general.

When I first saw Kris perform, I did not think he was going to make it that far. He was good, but kind of boring. He also didn't come packaged with a sob story, disability, or kids, like many of this seasons other contestants did. I felt like that was going to spell doom. Fortunately, he's hasn't hit the Bottom Three yet (despite Dial Idol's predictions...they're seriously full of fail this season). He's also been getting better every week. Also, he gets eternal bonus points for doing Falling Slowly and doing a decent job with it. I loved his performance this week. It was like Jason Mraz meets disco. He and Allison were my definite favorites this week.

Danny was my favorite in the beginning. Mostly because I thought he looked like Robert Downey Jr. He was pretty good for the first few weeks. His performance of Hero way back when was amazing. Then, I started realizing that all of his performances sound EXACTLY THE SAME. The judges will tear apart someone like Matt for their lack of creativity or originality, yet they shine heaps of praises on to Danny. I really don't get it. He sounds like Taylor Hicks, but he's not absolutely crazy and therefore does not make for good Idol entertainment. He's probably slightly more marketable than Taylor, but the judges should realize that he's headed for fail.

I felt similarly about Lil Rounds in the beginning. Probably one of the best at the beginning of the competition. Unlike Danny who maintains a level of mediocrity each week, Lil Rounds seems to be getting worse each week. The back up singers out performed her this week. I don't know how she thought she was going to pull off I'm Every Woman when other contestants have done a much better job with an already tough song in the past. She needs to go. I'm tired of her talking back all the time to the judges. I hope she's out tomorrow.

Anoop can be hit or miss. He's got a very good voice, but lacks stage presence. I also get an arrogant vibe from him. I really liked his Always On My Mind performance. I generally like him, but I'd rather see him go than Matt tomorrow.

I'm so sick of Adam. I'd accept another week of Lil Rounds if it meant that Adam was gone this week. He screeches every song he performs. I almost liked his performance this week and then he started screeching. He's absolutely ridiculous. He tries to hard. I can never forgive his performance of Ring of Fire. The only thing that I can compare him to is the store Hot Topic. The fact that he used the Gary Jules version of Mad World instead of the Tears for Fears version does not make him original. It just shows he watched Donnie Darko. That does not warrant a standing ovation from Simon. He didn't even do the Gary Jules version that well. In theory, I should like him. He's got the Broadway background. He actually does sing well. He'll probably win. I don't know. David Cook turned me around after Smurf week last season, so maybe he'll change my mind in the next month. Maybe.

Actually, I liked disco week a lot more than I thought I would. Wonder what next week's theme will be. The more important question is whether I'll actually watch the results show because there's no Lost tomorrow and all.

Speaking of Wednesday programming, the new show Better off Ted is absolutely hilarious. Portia de Rossi's in it, which is why I first noticed it. My Contracts professor also mentioned that it was good and he was pretty funny, so I trusted him on that one. It's bizarre and funny. The fact that I like it means that it's probably going to be canceled soon. (please no?)

Okay, I've made a compromise with myself. I have just (or forty minutes ago) finished my last class as a first year. I feel like there is some obligatory farting around that should come with it, so I am going to post another blog entry before I go to the gym and then it's crank time on that Contracts Outline. My goal is to finish that one tonight.

Today is kind of a post explosion, I guess. I successfully used the new text post feature (see previous post) which could serve as a replacement for Twitter free from the boundaries of the 140 characters. I might do one more later tonight. I was going to do my final comments on the Idol people before my favorites got kicked out, but I figured that would be more fitting AFTER the performances happen. Disco night. That'll be fun.

Anyway, I just wanted to post about my weekend because I actually did stuff again this weekend. But because I should actually eventually get to work, I'm going to do a semi-shortened one version.

Thursday:

- had class
- Chris came
- we went to lunch at Tommy's Joynt and had good food
- packed up some stuff here and then drove to San Jose for my interview (got the job, yay)
- went home for a while and then went out to dinner for sushi
- Uncle Brian drove us home, but we stopped at Nob Hill along the way because Chris needed contact solution. We also ended up getting material to make a cheesecake for the KALSA baking competition

Friday:

- Chris went to Enviro law with me, was sad that it was the last Enviro law, but we talked about MA v. EPA, which is a very interesting case
- went to the Health Center because I had been having abdominal pains. Got poked and prodded and sent away
- went to Saigon Sandwiches for lunch and ate out in front of the Asian Art Museum.
- went back to the Tower so I could study and Chris could make our cheesecake submission for the KALSA party
- went with a large group over to the Mission for the End of the Year KALSA party. Was a lot of fun. We ended up winning the baking competition, so Chris now knows he's somewhat talented in making strawberry sauce
- left early ish (with a giant group of people who wanted to weed their way through the Mission together)
- ended up making it to the Metreon just in time for the 9:30 showing of Dragonball Evolution (movie was terrible, but was made more amusing by a guy who was snoring very loudly)

Saturday

- breakfast/lunch at El Farolito
- made reservations for our 5th anniversary dinner at The House in North Beach, managed to get 9:30 reservations
- went to Westfield Mall because we were both pretty lame and didn't know what to get for each other as anniversary gifts. I ended up getting him Warcraft books to fuel that obsession. He got me an ecofriendly purse from the Virgin Megastore (RIP)
- went back and studied/watched Arrested Development/TDK for a couple of hours
- left around 8:45 to walk out to the restaurant because we did not feel like catching a taxi
- Food at The House was very good. We split a scallop appetizer. I got sea bass. He got halibut. We had cheesecake for dessert (but only after embarassing ourselves and trying to order crepes when our waitress had told us the dessert special was some sort of a crisp)

Sunday

- we were supposed to go to Dottie's for breakfast before Chris left, but I ended up feeling sick, so I road out to Fremont with him and Umma picked us up to go to the Dr.
- Got lunch at Oakridge
- went home for a while, Chris left
- Oppa took me back to SF
- I got some studying in

That's about it for my weekend. Now it's time for the serious studying. Or maybe more serious studying. Idk, we'll see.

Hey they have mobile posting for blogger (good to know for the next road trip) so I wanted to do a test. Granted, it's not entirely necessary with an iphone but it's still pretty sweet. Also I dont think the 140 character limit of twitter applies here

I'm getting my blog in before Property class happens. It might run over for the slow periods of this class too.

I never got to post about Fleet Foxes. Mostly because I spent Wednesday trying to get work done before Chris came on Thursday and then was busy for the rest of the weekends. Thus, I will give a brief recap of the show.

Was at the Fillmore. Went with Dinah. We got there around 8:20 and were very surprised to find that when they posted that the show was going to start at 8, it started at 8 and not in the 9-9:30 time range. That was a pleasant surprise actually.

The first band was Blitzen Trapper. I had heard of them before and heard some of their music on myspace, but that was about. They were REALLY good live. I was pleasantly surprised and probably would have bought their last album at the store had it not been for the horde at the exit (which I will talk about shortly)



The wait between sets wasn't that long and Fleet Foxes came out before we knew it. In that time, we actually managed to squeeze our way to maybe the 15th/20th row of people in front of the stage. Normally I'm morally opposed to such behavior, but it was not that crowded so it was more walking and less squeezing. And despite the fact that the Fleet Foxes crowd was relatively short, we managed to stand behind the three tallest people in the Fillmore that night. Go figure.

I was also kind of nervous about seeing them live. Their self-titled album was absolutely flawless. I figured there had to be something wrong with the live show. Their voices were too good to be true in the studio recording. Fortuantely, they actually sound exactly like they do on the album. It was amazing to see some of those harmonies they did on songs like White Winter Hymnal. There was also a lot of pot smoking, which at least makes more sense than the pot smoking at the St. Vincent show.

Also, I have some love for my camera. When it was stable enough to take pictures, I got some really good close ones despite the fact that I was relatively far back.



The coolest part of their set, however, was when the lead singer came out and did a completely unplugged version of Oliver James (or I remember it being Oliver James).

And for the final song, Blue Ridge Mountain, the whole band + Blitzen Trapper came out and played the song. It was fun to watch.



MVI_7950.AVI

The show ended relatively early. Maybe around 10:30? It took us forever to get out because everyone leaves from one small exit. That kind of made me a little nervous about the venue and I was glad there was no fire or anything. We did get free posters though curtosy of the Fillmore. That was cool.

We were back to my place around 11:15 between the long exit and the fact that it took forever to get a taxi. Dinah went back and I got in quite a bit of outlining.

That was my quick overview of the Fleet Foxes. I will write about the weekend and getting a summer job (w00t w00t) and all that in the next post.