Because yelling at the TV just wasn’t enough anymore.
Oct 31st 2005Bull MooseLaw School
In the entire 1L evening program of about 75 people, only one guy wore a Halloween costume. I think he’s supposed to be a Blues Brother. Don’t you need two people in order to properly get in costume as a Blues Brother? What a douche.
Oct 31st 2005Bull MoosePolitics
Back on track.
Now that it’s been determined the “right wing” branch can point the President in the right direction on SCOTUS nominees, maybe it can do that on some other things like spending, border control, and free cake for bloggers.
Mmm… Cake…
Oct 28th 2005Bull MooseGeneral
My motorcycle was finally delivered. When it was, just Baby Moose and I were at home. I brought her out in the garage and secured her in the stroller as we got the thing unloaded.
After the guy left, I swung my leg up over it, turned on the fuel valve and the ignition and started her up. Despite being just stock, it has a pretty good growl because it is a Harley and has a 1200 cc engine.
I thought the baby might be scared, but instead her eyes lit up and she gave off an excited “Woo! Woo!” noise.
Oh no. I don’t want her associating loud bikes with fun and excitement. So now I have to dread chasing off sailors and bikers (not the mid-life crisis yuppie types either) in my mid-40s. May the next one be a son. A very large son.
Oct 27th 2005Bull MoosePolitics
UPDATE: Quasar: I had to figure out where I heard that when challenged. Looks like it’s a quote from her old boss and it specifies “employee”. (Here. Last two paragraphs.)
But even putting that aside, it doesn’t look like it matters. Looks like only Libby is getting charged with making false statements to the grand jury, which I’d imagine there’s a good chance he’s guilty of. The old “cover-up worse than the crime” adage coming to life.
More importantly, Quasar, are you cheering for Penn State or Wisconsin a week from Saturday? Kind of win-win for you, ha?
UPDATE 2: A timely article by Cliff May that wonders the same thing (about Plame, not Wisconsin-Penn State).
In any case, it doesn’t look like Fitzgerald didn’t care that Plame was supposedly “outed” but rather, justifiably, who was in the way of his getting to the bottom of whether she was “outed” or not.
Oct 25th 2005Bull MooseFerry Tales & Law School & Politics & Sports
Haven’t done this in awhile, so:
Oct 25th 2005Bull MooseWar on Terror
Mad props to the people of Iraq for adopting a constitution.
Next project: Changing the nay sayers from those that bomb to those that wear tie dye shirts and carry stupid looking puppets and misspelled signs like ours.
Speaking of nay sayers, I wonder what the “Mission Nothing Accomplished” bumper sticker crowd will say about this. Well, I know what they are going to say – that they wouldn’t need a constitution if they would’ve been able to live in peace under benevolent Saddam, or alternatively something about a puppet government and oil – but I want to actually hear one say it.
Oct 24th 2005Bull MooseGeneral
I expect very little from government bureaucracies. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when the Washington Department of Washington did something that I expected they would not do today.
The only DOL office that is open on Monday around is the downtown Seattle office that has limited services. I walked by and thought I’d try to present my certificate that says I am entitled to a motorcycle endorsement. The sign said “Limited services. Renewals and IDs.” I walked in just knowing that they wouldn’t do it. I pressed the button and got my number, and was called forward by the computer before I had the number off the machine.
“I’m not sure if you can do this, but I need a motorcycle endorsement put on my license and I have the testing waiver,” I said.
“Sure. We can do that, ” the little man behind the counter said.
“You can?” Wow. I was pretty sure that “renewals and IDs” probably meant renewals and IDs only… if that. And I was even kind of happy with the new picture on my license. Plus, the guy renewed my regular driver’s license which expires in January, saving me the $25 for renewing my motorcycle endorsement a few months after I got it. Plus I was in-and-out in less than 10 minutes and don’t have to waste work time running around.
It still doesn’t make up for the problems they gave me when I switched out my driver’s license from Wisconsin to Washington in 2001. But that’s another story.
Oct 24th 2005Bull MooseHippie Watch & War on Terror
The only people more excited about the upcoming 2000th American death in Iraq than the terrorist insurgents are the anti-war people who give them moral support. We’ll all know when it happens, because there is going to be a coast-to-coast lefty orgasm. Eww…. A.N.S.W.E.R. spooge!
But don’t question their patriotism.
I think it’s particulary telling that they want to hang the Iraqis out to dry by pulling out. That worked so well for southeast Asia. The logical position for an anti-war person at this point would be, we’re there, we can’t change that. Let’s get the job done and get the hell out of there. But that’s not what they want. They want us to run away because we have hit an arbitrary number. What’s a little genocide when you can stop a war that’s being run by a Republican administration, right?
Oct 24th 2005Bull MooseGeneral
I took the motorcycle safety class that Washington last weekend. It was a lot of fun, despite the fact that it was raining pretty hard during the Sunday session of hands on instruction.
I had to keep reminding myself that the time was an investment, though, because it ate up a lot of time that I couldn’t afford to have eaten up unless it was for good cause. I think saving almost an hour a day by staying off buses will be worth it.
It’s always an interesting experience taking classes like these, especially in a Navy town. There were a couple of disciplined submariners in the class, a couple of half-assed sailors from the Stennis, a former drill sergeant who currently teaches combat techniques who drove up from Fort Lewis, a Bremerton townie, a blue collared married couple from Enumclaw, home of the bestiality farm, and me.
The instructors were an older active duty sailor – a pretty cool guy – and a guy who reminded me of my late step-father-in-law, a little too easy to anger, (sorry I couldn’t hear you talking at me as I was going past you at 35 mph as directed wearing a full helmet) a little too self-important – they even had the same job – but with intentions and most actions in the right place.
As you might guess, I didn’t have too much trouble getting a 100% on the written “exam.” The surface sailors took a long time to finish though…. A long time.
The range training days were fun, learning how to maneuver and when to use the clutch and the brake to maneuver. The hardest part of the test was doing a figure 8 inside a 20’ by 40’ box. Some of the others were very frustrated that I could do it so well, since I don’t look particularly nimble. I tried to explain counterweight to one of them – the female sailor from the Stennis – and how I could lean the bike so much further at slow speeds than her. But she soon gave up and quit, deciding that driving her own motorcycle to bike week in Daytona next year wasn’t worth a whole weekend.
I had asked her and the other Stennis sailor how they liked their captain, since I run into him occasionally at functions. They looked at me like I asked them if I thought President Bush was a nice guy. I think I got a “rich snob” label after that. I was well on my way after I told the class I bought a new Harley to get to law school faster. I don’t care. I was nice to them all, they had no reason to think I was looking down on any of them – and I wasn’t – so they can think what they want.
The riding exam was four parts – stopping from “high” speed, swerving at “high” speed, the aforementioned box figure 8, and curving. I was perfect going into the last part, the curve, so I did the equivalent of taking a knee and drove through slow so I would have no chance of dumping the bike. I didn’t know I almost had the 16th recorded dual 100s on the written and riding exam (10 people per class almost every weekend of the year for several years). If I had known that I would’ve went through the curve like a bat out of hell. I can never get enough dubious
achievements. As it was, I lost 5 points and graduated with a 100/95. Good enough, now I can go get my cycle endorsement, whenever the DOL opens again – they are closed every Monday! – and as soon as the dealership has my bike ready I can start reaping the investment.
And look badass on my hog to boot.
Oct 20th 2005Bull MooseLaw School
The exam results were posted today. I did fairly well with a B+, but I see where I could’ve grabbed an A-. I don’t want to get into a habit of posting all of my grades here, but there are some points I was thinking about that make the grade relevant.
My Crim Law grade was in the B band of the curve. I saw room for improvments in how I wrote exams, and bumped up to the B+ band. That’s the difference between top half and top third. Now, can I go one step more and get up into the top 15% band (the A- and higher) next time? I think so. After the exam, I kicked myself for not sprinkling in more policy. I’m sure when the prof over the exam tonight I’ll find more ways to do better. Of course, the problem with that reasoning is, that I have to bump someone else out of that band. Maybe there’ll be enough complacency for that to happen.
It’ll also be nice to have one week with no class and nothing else to worry about before each final. That should give me a chance to work plenty of old exam questions, which I think is the most helpful thing a 1L can do.
Oct 20th 2005Bull MooseGeneral
Maybe someone studying the rule of law shouldn’t admit this, but vigilante justice in appropriate doses and circumstances has never bothered me. Not that I think it should be encouraged, or tolerated if it is too obvious, but I’m not going to lose a lot of sleep over some thug being taken out.
Take the case of whoever shot the piece of human debris that beat Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin with a street sign to the point that being able to play football again may be the least of his worries:
This Terrell Devon Milam was already a murderer. The state had proven it couldn’t handle him. I’m not going to fret over someone taking him out, especially if it was the result of his acting like an animal on Pioneer Square that night. If the cops have more important things to work on – like getting rid of the thug culture that produced this guy in the first place – no need to put any OT into solving this one. Sometimes “he had it coming” is all I need to know.
UPDATE:
To “????,” a person so brave they wish death upon me and back it up with a fake e-mail address, in the comments section:
First off, I’ll say whatever I want on my own blog.
Second, no where do I say anything racist. Unless you think “thugs” and “human debris” can only be black – in which case you are the racist.
Third, my point was not “he commited crimes in his past,so he deserves whatever he gets,” as you say, but that he had committed a serious assault earlier that night, and was in the midst of a crime, or at least a parole violation (being away from his halfway house) when he was killed so it’s hard not to think he deserved what he got. You reap what you sow.
I don’t care what you think is retarded. I’m not going to lose any sleep over his homicide going unsolved as long as the police have anything more important to worry about – like preventing a 10 year old kid from becoming the next Terrell Devon Milam.
And as for the world being better off without me – I add to the GDP and have contributed to life saving medicine – probably something in your parents or grandparents medicine cabinet right now (I’m assuming you are a 15 year-old who needs a spanking). What have you ever done? You can’t even punctuate, so I doubt it’s much beyond offering someone “fries with that.”
I wonder how you’d change your tune if a thug like Milam walked into your Burger King grabbed you by the collar and starting demanding money in the safe that you couldn’t access. He’s just another misunderstood human who had a bad upbringing, right? I hope all of that understanding and caring would stop you from getting your ass beat with a street sign. Actually, I wouldn’t hope that because you wished death upon me. I’d hope he’d beat some sense into you.
UPDATE 2:
While gathering some information like the IP address of the commentor, I came across some things to make me think that “???” is the same troll who usually hangs out at Right Wing News under several names and trolls hard left.
Cool! A celebrity troll on my modest blog. And issuing death threats (kinda) no less! Wow. I’m going places.
Oct 20th 2005Bull MooseThe TV
In case there’s anyone wondering whether Trey Parker and Matt Stone can put out a quality product, last night’s South Park should put that to rest.
Last night’s episode was another of their specialty: A timely lampooning of hypocricy, panicy idiots, and bad action movies.
The episode was about the boys breaking a beaver dam, which led to a flood in the town below, stranding the people in the town in a Katrina-like state. The flood was promptly blamed on global warming (after George Bush and terrorists with WMDs were rejected as causes) without any evidence, starting a panic and shouts of “We didn’t listen!”
The scenes where global warming was chasing the mob in monster movie fashion had me rolling on the floor. And so did the mocking of “The Day After Tomorrow.”
Then came the media coverage of the “disasters” with reports of 600 billion dead, rioting, looting, and rape – with the reporter not actually seeing any of it.
It was another brilliant 22 minutes of satire from those guys. I’m so glad they’ve signed on for a couple more seasons, because as I’ve said before the show just seems to get better as it gets older.
Oct 19th 2005Bull MooseLaw School
Mental note: Don’t get to class early. I’ve had to listen to one of my more crazy classmates talk about trying to sell her house and boarding her cats for the last 20 minutes. It’ll almost make the upcoming discussion of legal writing seem spectacularly interesting.
Oct 19th 2005Bull MooseGeneral
At last, we have the mighty Chewbacca.
Is there any doubt that Chewie should be an American? OK, he might fit in in Australia and is hairy enough to be a French woman, but other than that…
Oct 19th 2005Bull MooseSports
I had to dig up the picture of Robin Yount’s farewell lap on his Harley Road King.
This was the moment that pre-determined that if I was ever going to get a motorcycle, it was going to be a Harley.
Oct 19th 2005Bull MooseLife in the Enlightened Blue Archipelago
It’s a dreary day, I was up late finishing my legal writing paper so I’m dragging, and there are still three days left in the week.
Things were looking kind of depressing. That is until I ran across an update on the funniest story ever.
I usually don’t categorize people’s death as being anything to laugh at, but c’mon, this dude brought it upon himself. Just thinking about the massive backfire on a deviant so sick he felt the need to get screwed by a horse makes the day a little brighter.
Oct 18th 2005Bull MooseLaw School
I’m finding out, as are some of my classmates that I talk to, that the only way I can work 40-plus hours a week and do law school is if I’m willing to burn a vacation day here and there to just work on school.
That’s what I’m doing today. It’s not a happy feeling.
Oct 16th 2005Bull MooseAttempts at Humor & Sports
I went to the Seahawks – Texans games tonight.
As I was leaving, an opportunity for a new job hit me. Shaun Alexander averages 4.5 touchdowns per game when I am in Seahawks Stadium, or Qwest Field, or whatever the hell it is this week.
If the Squawks start paying me to attend games, I could quit my day job. Eight home games a year, so $10,000 a game sounds good to me. It’d be a good investment for them, and my dream job: watching football.
I’ll have to send my CV over to Sodo tomorrow.
Oct 15th 2005Bull MooseLaw School
The Joinder rules of Civil Procedure might have the dubious distinction of being the most boring thing I’ve ever read, outside of “The Importance of Being Ernest” freshman year of college.
Reading them at almost midnight probably doesn’t help.
Oct 15th 2005Bull MooseGeneral
I bought myself a Harley today. A 2005 Sportster 1200 Roadster.
No, I’m not having a (hopefully) early mid-life crisis. I’ve been thinking about getting a cycle for awhile. Taking the bus to the ferry, to work, to school, back to the ferry, and then home was getting on my nerves. I was spending 90 minutes each day on or waiting for a bus, now that the closure of half the stops on 3rd Ave in Seattle was causing me to miss the first bus off the ferry.
Now I can drive down right before the ferry leaves, get first on privileges, get off first, drive right to work, and leave work for school 20 minutes before class rather than an hour before class. The time I will save each day is worth the price alone.
Being from Wisconsin, with South Dakota connections, the Harley brand was really a no-brainer. I know most people would’ve pegged me for a Ninja rider (that’s a joke, BTW), but I decided to go with the brand that Robin Yount went with and whose workers go to Brewers games.
I went to the Harley dealership actually looking at the 2006 Sportster 883 R, but they gave me the 1200 for the same price because they are trying to complete the model year turnover. Fine with me. It’s got a little more power, so I can really pop wheelies on it (just kidding, mom.) Plus it has a little more room, so if my wife lets me wear the classy t-shirt with “If you can read this, the bitch fell off,” on the back she can put on her scooter helmet and go for a ride with me. Maybe all the way to Sturgis.
I didn’t take a picture at the dealership. It’s still there getting the removable windshield and saddle bags put on, but this is the factory picture of the bike in the same color:
The Wheel of Time: The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan