Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Can't Find It

I had a cool legal post to share about Congress authority to tell a guy that he can't grow his own wheat for his family (not selling it at all) because it effects interstate commerce. But I can't find what I did with my post. If I find it, I'll edit this post. I know you hope I find it and will sit and wait with baited breath until I do!

In the meantime, go read this article about the effects of Federal Spending on Education. The chart is pretty telling. Despite the ENORMOUS increase in Federal Spending, test scores and performance of students has stayed about the same.
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/09/30/chart-of-the-day-federal-ed-spending/

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Snooze advice

I am having a severe, severe issue with snoozing in the morning instead of getting up. I need advice on how to rectify this immediately.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Number 79

90. Borat
89. Chicago
88. Zoolander
87. Apollo 13
86. Grease
85. The Thin Red Line
84. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red-Light District
83. The Natural
82. The Little Mermaid
81. Meet Me In St. Louis
80. Closer

79. Ocean's 11 (2001)


What It Is:
A remake of the Rat Pack movie of the same name. A group of thieves attempt to jack a multitude of casinos in Vegas on fight night while the ring leader also tries to win back his girl. Dialogue is quick and witty. The story is more complex than you would think. And the cast, oh the cast, is a who's who of sexy Hollywood: Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, and George Clooney (though he's not my type.)

Why I Like It:
This cast is incredible, down to the last supporting character! They can actually pull off the witty back and forth sass that the original Rat Pack was so famous for. It's not overly original as far as filming and cinematography go, but this star studded cast more than compensate. Julia shines, as always, and Brad Pitt's physical acting (as in his body language) is some of the best work he's done.

I Bet You Didn't Know:
-With the exception of Danny Ocean, the title character, none of the other characters has the same name as their 1960 counterpart.
-Danny Glover, Owen Wilson, and Luke Wilson all turned down parts (the Bernie Mac character and the brothers who fight all the time) to do The Royal Tennenbaums.

Memorable Moments:
Do I have to pick? "You think I need one more?" Matt Damon's impersonation of the Nevada Game Inspector and his report with Bernie Mac. The last scene when Rusty and Tess go to pick up Danny. They have lots of jokes about shirts and girls and it's awesome.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Halloween

Got the fabric for my costume yesterday. Starting sewing today. I hope this isn't too ambitious of a project for me to tackle. I'm excited.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Dogs

In case you didn't know, I've started walking dogs and tending to the kitties at Lifeline Animal Project (the shelter that saved mine and Homer's lives last year!) every Thursday. I walked some amazing dogs today and wanted to get their pictures out on the web for everyone to see. Reece and Rosa cannot be adopted by themselves. Reece comes with his brother, Elliot, and Rosa comes with her partner, Theodore. If you want more info about any of these dogs or others (including kitties), contact me or go to www.atlantapets.org.

This is Rosa. She was an animal cruelty case so she had to learn survival skills. She's not so great with other dogs except Theo, her partner, but she is awesome with people and loves to give kisses!!!

This is Sailor. He's a little pit bull mix, pretty close to a year old. He's got big, uncoordinated feet, but the vet says he's done growing. He's super playful and great with other dogs and people.

This is Reece and he's one of the coolest dogs I've ever met. His tail curls, but not like other dogs, and he has these little bitty tiny ears. He's so uncooridnated and adorable! I LOVE THIS DOG! He comes with his brother Elliot who looks more German Shepherdy.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

And Some More.

There are so many more, but this takes forever! Advice, please on how to post pictures more efficiently.



Nickajack Creek on the Silver Comet Trail near David and Lauren's house


Yes. Owen climbed all the way across through the rafters. Mom nearly had a heart attack.


The flooded law school library

I-285 at the exit to our house

The guard post overlooking the vast Atlantic at a fort in Old San Juan

Katie inside the fort at Old San Juan

Puerto Rican Mountain Rain Forrest


My adorable doggie sleeping

Sorry if this is huge and makes your computer take forever!

Owie at his first football game.

About to score some points in ladder golf.

The view from my tent.

Me taking a study break while camping.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Yo

I'll be camping until Sunday. Pray it doesn't rain....

Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Twist on My Life

Things I Hate Today:

  • People who walk in the middle of the street even though there is a sidewalk
  • Eye allergies
  • Leaving stuff at home
  • All parking decks besides M Deck
  • My cornbread going bad before I get to eat it all
  • Cars that stop in the middle of the lane and turn on their flashers to look at a map or pick someone up/drop someone off. Pull over, already!
  • Not having an umbrella
  • People who cut in line. I know you just want food, but we all just want food. Wait your turn!
  • Useless Georgia State Parking Passes
  • Let's expand that to include all of Georgia State Parking Services
  • My volunteer project getting rained out
  • The alarm sound options on my cell phone
  • Depressing financial lectures....
  • Really tall people that come in late and sit right in front of me so that I can't see anymore

Now, Things I Like Today:

  • Getting a parking space right next to the door
  • Wearing my newish yellow sweater for the first time
  • Happy Gameday!
  • Cool lecture series
  • The feeling you get the day after you accomplished a lot
  • When people want to sit next to you in the lunch room
  • That my phone auto-corrected Tish's name to Tush
  • Standing up for myself and those behind me in line (that's right - the food cutter got denied!)
  • Having sources of income
  • Voting Clicky-Thingies
  • Being prepared for Class
  • Lists

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

What to Expect This Week

Here are some things to expect from my blogs in the coming week:

  1. A Photo post that will include Puerto Rico, the Silver Comet Trail, and my upcoming camping trip.
  2. The next movie from my top 100. It's a good one.
  3. A status of my life right now. Riveting, I know.
  4. Some sort of legal topic, probably stemming from my favorite Constitutional Law class.
So, there it is. I feel like that's ambitious for this week, but what can I say, I'm moderately ambitious....

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Stars and Stuff

So, outer space is pretty cool. More pictures and an article are on CNN.com about this "butterfly nebula" captured by Hubbel....


Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Number 80

I was trying to come up with a way to do a picture post that wouldn't take eight hours but realized that I was actually watching Number 80 on my movie list, so that works, too.

90. Borat
89. Chicago
88. Zoolander
87. Apollo 13
86. Grease
85. The Thin Red Line
84. Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red-Light District
83. The Natural
82. The Little Mermaid
81. Meet Me In St. Louis
80. Closer (2004)


What It Is:
The best word to describe this movie is "raw." It follows the love-hate-lives of four characters (the only in the movie): two American women and their male British lovers in London. All four stars are beautiful and tremendously talented. Daniel is an obituary writer who meets the stranger, Alice, a stripper from New York. Daniel writes a book about Alice, and then meets Anna, who is the photographer taking his picture for the dust jacket. An odd occurrence causes Daniel to introduce Anna to Larry, a dermatologist, at the local aquarium. It's based on a play by Patrick Marber, and is so real and revealing about love and sex that it's painful.

Why I Like It:
I think my love for documentaries makes me love this movie. As I said, it's very real and very revealing, like most documentaries. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen are two of my favorites, and Jude Law and Natalie Portman gained lots of respect from me. The movie is captivating, which is a testament to all four of their talents because not much happens. It's mostly talk, so to be so engaging really speaks wonders for them! Don't expect a feel good movie here, but for some reason, after watching it, I always feel closer to some ascertainable truth.

I Bet You Didn't Know:
Anna's exhibition is the only time all four characters are in the same room.

The play has a very different ending than the movie. If you want to know what it is, highlight the text in between the arrows. >> (The play closed with Dan and Anna speaking briefly on a park bench, several years after Alice and Dan's breakup. Dan tells her that Alice had been hit by a car in New York City and had died, and that he was the only one authorities could find to identify her body. However, the film closes showing Alice alive, well and confidently walking the streets of Manhattan. The very last shot as she's walking across a road in Manhattan is a pan/tilt up to a red "DON'T WALK" signal, thus hinting at the her fate as it is in the play.) <<

Memorable Moments:
The opening sequence with Damien Rice in the background is beautiful.
"I love everything about you that hurts."
"Dan: Everybody wants to be happy.
Larry: Depressives don't. They want to be unhappy to confirm they're depressed. If they were happy they couldn't be depressed anymore. They'd have to go out into the world and live. Which can be depressing. "
"It's a lie. It's a bunch of sad strangers photographed beautifully, and... all the glittering assholes who appreciate art say it's beautiful 'cause that's what they wanna see. But the people in the photos are sad, and alone... But the pictures make the world seem beautiful, so... the exhibition is reassuring which makes it a lie, and everyone loves a big fat lie."
"I would have loved you forever."

Sunday, September 6, 2009

What Not To Do When Traveling - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Wisdom from my traveling experience:
  • Don't assume that everyone goes out at the same time you do.
  • Free drinks save money!
  • At the Blackjack Table, bet your gut, not just the odds. Just don't be surprised when the "pros" at the table try and beat you up later.
  • Just because the hotel says the pool bar is open until 5pm doesn't mean that it will still be open when you show up at 3:30 in you bathing suit expecting a pina colada.
  • The hike to La Mina Falls is brutal but worth it. The force of a real-life waterfall is powerful.
  • The staff at the hotel probably doesn't know anything about the area.
  • Not all car rental agencies are the same, especially if you aren't 25 yet. CHARLIE, YOU ROCK!
  • You can still flush urine even if a sign says you're only allowed to flush toilet paper.
  • Refrigerators and thermostats in a hotel room make all the difference in the world.
  • I CAN do a trip without bringing my blanket - so THERE!!!!
  • El Yunque Rain Forest is pretty amazing. But DO NOT trust the maps and don't bother with the welcome center that charges you $3.00 for no reason.
  • Online reviews are extremely helpful in finding amazing places to eat. Honest to God: two of the best meals I've ever had in my life!!
  • Local spice stores make for great shopping, but if you don't plan on checking luggage, it can be limiting.
  • Unfamiliar oceans make me a little jumpy to get into... But walking barefoot on the beach in the moonlight is one of the coolest experience no matter where you are!
  • Even though the tourist attractions are, well, tourist attractions, they can still be kinda cool.
  • Delta may* be the worst airline ever.
  • It is an established fact that I'm bad luck when traveling.
  • If you have a really early flight, it can be pretty nice just ordering a movie and staying in the night before.




* Replace "may" with "is"

Pictures coming soon.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Traveling

Will be in Puerto Rico, fighting Erica, for the rest of the weekend. Try not to miss me too much.