Off The Old Block

12:14p.m.: this is really turning into a marathon. I was up early this a.m. working on advanced crim pro. One of the really difficult processes for me is getting in my head that this last final is the most important thing in my immediate future. The procrastination gene I was born with really wants to push me towards other interests, like learning about which stocks I should spend my tax windfall on, or how to execute a perfect crossover in 2k8. As it stands, one of the best lessons I could learn would be to create a measurably intense focus on this one task for the next six days. That is the way to the A I think. And the process is both difficult for me and foreign to me.

8:45p.m.: takes me all day to read 5 cases? Shameful.

1:24p.m., back in the library, with a stack of books next to me and a huge file of cases ready to read so that I can get caught up in advanced crim pro. I am sitting at a huge table, all by myself, because one of my study buddies is unaccounted for. For now, I am still procrastinating.
(edit: the Iron Man movie out now is amazing. I want that suit!)

3:47p.m.: need lunch, going out for some delicious potbelly or maybe jimmy johns. and then, back to studying until I hit up the court room for one last mock trial tryout. finals is funner when there is non-academic work to distract me from my goals.

8:16p.m.: i haven’t done much today. I got up, studied, hung out with the fiance, studied, went for a walk, studied. Here I am, not feeling real great about my progress! Currently playing in iTunes: 137 BPM - Press On by DJ Steve Boyett

12:36a.m. (oops, guess this is technically day 7): I’m not going to fail my test tomorrowlater today!, but boy I feel like crap still!

10:13a.m.: Woke up, but hit snooze every 8 minutes for almost 2 hours. Just now getting started. I have to figure out the business judgment rule today.

11:34a.m.: getting creative: just poured my coffee into my protein shake, to save time. I am through 4/13 chapters. Typing up some notes to recommit the info to memory.

11:52a.m.: minor distraction getting mock trial stuff situated for the fall. I am pretty good at this stuff.

1:33p.m.: who takes a break by going to the postoffice? THIS GUY.

3:03pm: finished procrastinating, after going to post office, and a camping store. bought an umbrella and a t-shirt, mailed my passport for renewal. Not in that order. Then I came back, worked until my fiance got home, and we watched HIMYM. Now I am back to work, until I drop her off at Margarita and Sushi night. Oh, and studying sucks.

8:41p.m.: i am not ready for my final. It starts in about 45 hours. That means I probably have maybe 18 hours of studying left before I take it. Not ready at all. Also, You can watch a guy playing GTA IV all night long. Wild. Not that I would have watched any of that, with the impending final = 100% of my grade in Business Organizations.

8:43p.m.: forgot to eat dinner, one more thing to procrastinate by doing.

Day 4 starts off with rain and cold temps here in Chicago.

10:19a.m.: sitting in a make up class for Advanced Crim Pro, waiting for this to be over so I can go back to studying biz orgs. Over the weekend I developed some sort of cramp in my non-writing shoulder that seems to be giving me a migraine. It isn’t a lot of fun. A more lawyerly way to put that? Studying blows.

10:24a.m.: my classmates are bitching about the expected difficulty of this final. And they are more prepared than I am, so maybe I should start to worry.

11:39a.m.: almost done with this class (and this stuff isn’t even on the final!) frustrating. headed to the library after this, and going to kick much ass today.

12:11p.m.: in the library, getting my learn on.

1:24p.m.: took a bathroom break, got some candy, starting on hour two of todays studying adventure. my neck is tired, my shoulder is starting to ache. I think studying is giving me a brain-based-heart-attack.
3:26p.m.: rock, it is still raining downtown, and now it is cold enough to see my breath. my trip to starbucks was fun, dodging rain drops AND speeding busses. so, spent some time in the library reading, and am feeling pretty good. the way i study is 1) read the material (in theory, the first time it is presented in class) and take written notes on it 2) during finals, type up those notes, and combine them with my class notes on the subject (assuming i took notes in class, or even went that day) 3) then you know, get a grade. Usually a B-ish.

8:01p.m.: inch by inch of text, I get closer and closer to that migraine. In other news, I went and took care of some non-finals related business (think, mock trial stuff) and am pleased with how my friends did at their tryouts. From here on, it’ll be up to the judges and God. now the questions remains: study, and fall asleep, or just go to the gym? hmmm…..

Day 2: Stayed at home, got groceries, studied, and spent time with the fiance. Ultimately, more productive than an average saturday, but not by much.

Day 3: A great sunday by my academic standards. Woke up, and studied with the fiance on and off all day. Burned through about 100 pages of biz orgs.

now, starting day 4.

Day 1:

2:07p.m.: finish procrastinating. Already in computer lab, with notebooks and coffee, ready to type up notes. First final: Biz Orgs

2:33p.m.: took first unintended procrastination break, and watched Onion News Network.

4:36p.m.: worked, had chipotle brought to me, worked some more, then got distracted for the last hour doing non-classwork related schoolwork.

6:56p.m.: Still at the law school, in the library. Fading fast. Candy and Coca-Cola only get me so far.

7:52p.m.: eating some janky colored M&M’s and thinking I should go home. Except for the torrential down poor outside.

8:11p.m.: headache, and storms seem to have gone down some. time to leave the library and go home. maybe time to work out when I get home, too. or just lay on the couch and be a slug.

I am in the middle of finals right now. Here are some things that are helping me get through:

*Intelligentsia Coffee
*100% Whey Protein
*Hooded Sweat Shirts and Sweat Pants (for keeping warm in my cold cold apt)
*Twitter
*Ebay
*iTunes + Podrunner
*The willingness to let my place be a mess for a while
*Motivation from the GF.

Currently playing in iTunes: 165 BPM - Fast Friends by DJ Steve Boyett

This caught my eye on my gmail headlines this morning. Wedding’s Off, see you in Court!

Just for anyone who is curious, the ring is a conditional gift, conditioned upon the actual marriage. Barring some evidence not listed in the article, that groom will win his suit for the ring. Although potentially not be awarded court costs, that is discretionary for the judge/jury I believe.

When any of us regular schmo’s are in a police station, providing the officers of the peace with finger prints and mug shots photographs, it is called being arrested. When a rich drugged out republican Rush Limbaugh does that, he’s in and out quicker than I can get my hair cut. Oh, and it’s just a booking.

Ladies and Gentlemen - what we have here is failure to semanticate.

I originally saw this story over at Boing Boing, prompting me to go check out the google video link (available below) and watch the video. Ars picked this up here - although with a slightly different view on the issue. I’m sure this was on Digg and SlashDot also. It is a pretty interesting story, especially when you consider the various legal implications involved. Strictly speaking, NBC is 100% within their rights to call for the video to be removed, and further, probably entitled to some compensatory damages. But if we look at the evolution of things, it would appear that this is the exact opposite action to take. Judging from the fact that “Red Vines + Mr. PIBB = Crazy Delicious” is it’s own meme now, spawning such parodies as “Josh Schachter + Yahoo = Crazy Del.ico.us”, I’d say that NBC had a huge opportunity here and are handling it without much elegance.