Alexandra Nechita

This one is called Adventurous Mind. Click on the title to see her page and other works by her.

Life 101

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but

shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spendmore, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more
degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh toolittle, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much , and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These
are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

My Christmas

My dad, bros, and i woke up at 7, packed our stuff and headed to Bear Mountain.
Once we got to Snow Valley, we stopped to see the conditions and liked what we saw.
Not crowded, great parking, and snow looked enticing.
We parked, changed into our gear and my dad headed in to buy tickets.
I walked to the bathroom and looked up at the mountain.
Something looked off.
The whole top of the mountain looked pristine clean.
Not a single skier. At first i was stoked and didn't think anything of it.
The bottom half was littered with people so I couldn't wait to get to the top.
I walked out of the bathroom again and this time i saw it.
The whole top half lifts were not moving.

I went back to the ticket booth and they said that they shut down all the lifts except for the beginner lifts because of the high wind speeds today.
I knew it was windy but we've been in these conditions before and it wasn't bad up there.
I think it was the wildfires and they were afraid that they might not get people down fast enough.

So. I drove an hour and half on a gorgeous sunny day to snow ski.
And i saw snow.
I just couldn't touch it.
My Christmas sucked balls.

I really hope yours was better. It's not hard to beat.

In His Head

"Piles of useless stuff are in his head--from religion to gadgetry. And this blog is his virtual dumping ground. Rummage around. One man's trash is another man's treasure."

Batman

Heath Ledger is the new Joker and he looks amazing. I can't wait to see this movie.

World Press Photo of the Year

They have requested that I not copy this image but here is the site. Please take a look at it, because it shows the ultimate irony.

Understanding Traffic Jams

hum... I understand a bit better now. Mathematicians solve the mystery of traffic jams.

Garden State

From Carmen's blog:

Andrew Largeman: You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? All of the sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff that idea of home is gone.

Sam: I still feel at home in my house.

Andrew Largeman: You'll see when you move out it just sort of happens one day one day and it's just gone. And you can never get it back. It's like you get homesick for a place that doesn't exist. I mean it's like this rite of passage, you know. You won't have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I miss the idea of it. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place.

90 for 9000

I love this story because I can see myself pulling that punishment.
Dad sells his son's Guitar Hero III on the web for 9,000 dollars because he found his son in the backyard smoking pot with some delinquent punks. yepp, he did it... but he'll replace the gift with Dancing with the Stars, or Wii Barbie.

Challenge

Sweeney Todd

This looks like the movie of the season. I can't wait to see what Tim Burton is going to bring to this story. Watch the trailer here.


Update: It's awesome. All the Tim Burton sadistic tendencies splurged on this flick.

Cole v. German Savings

I've read a lot of cases this semester but this one sticks out in both my mind. I could only remember the facts, but Kat was able to give me the name: Cole v. German Savings. This is my favorite case in Torts so far and is on my list of strange cases to remember.

An elevator shaft was empty and under construction. A strange little boy about 13 years old impersonated the usual elevator boy by dressing up in his costume. He then led a woman to the shaft and let her fall down the hole.


Lexis Nexis:
PROCEDURAL POSTURE: Plaintiff elevator patron appealed a judgment of the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Utah that the patron could not recover from defendant building owner in a personal injury action.

OVERVIEW: The patron was injured when she fell into an open elevator shaft. A young man about 13 years of age had preceded the patron to the elevator, opened the door, and invited the patron to pass into the shaft. The crucial question in the case was whether or not the negligence of the building owner was the proximate cause of the injury to the patron. The district court entered judgment in favor of the building owner. On appeal, the court affirmed. The court found that there was no evidence that the patron's injuries resulted from acts or omissions of the building owner. Rather, there was positive and convincing testimony that the patron's injuries were caused by the wrongful act of the young man, who was a trespasser. The building owner could not foresee or reasonably anticipate the young man's violation of the law and trespass upon its property. The young man's voluntary act broke the chain of causation between any prior negligence of the owner and the patron's injury. The owner's acts were not a proximate cause of the accident.

OUTCOME: The court affirmed the judgment of the district court.

Luge

Next time I am in Germany, near the Neuschwanstein Castle, I HAVE to do this. Too bad I didn't know about this in 2003. Guess it means I have to go back!!

Ride the luge

[The Sommerrodelbahn is one of the most exhilarating alpine experiences. Local speed demons spend entire summer days riding chairlifts up in order to "luge" down the concrete bobsled courses on oversize skateboards. You can find several luge courses near Germany's famous "Mad" King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle; two metal courses between Salzburg and Hallstatt in Austria; and two concrete luge courses at France's Chamonix near the base of Mont Blanc. (Metal courses often stay open while concrete courses close at the least sprinkle of rain.)

When riding a luge, you sit with a brake stick between your legs. Push to go fast. Pull to stop. The course banks on the corners, and even a first-timer can go very, very fast. Most are careful on their first run and really rip on their second. To avoid a slow-healing souvenir, keep both hands on your stick. You'll rumble, windblown and smile-creased, across the finish line with one thought on your mind -- "Do it again!"]

Fall 2007 Finals

Fall Final for 1Ls have started.
We get a study period of approximately 2 weeks to study before finals.
To me, that means if you need a study period, you need A LOT of study time...which means you are screwed if you don't study your ass off, starting from mid semester.
I haven't seen the light of day in days.
I can't wait for these two weeks to be over.
Dec 20th...here i come.

Law Review

When I first got to law school, I kept hearing this term "law review" sporadically around school. I had no clue as to what it was, what I needed to do to get it, or what the rewards were...but it was a big deal. So like many ignorant and wide eyed first year law students, I dreamed of making "law review" without knowing jack about it.

Today, walking through campus, I saw the bulletin that posted all the names of people that made law review. Since I've been deprived of good food, sleep, and basically the world outside of Whittier Law School, my spirits were a little low. But seeing that post made me look at law school in a new but still ignorant way.

So in this article about how Law Review is like Eating Vegetables, I find out that making Law Review is a big fricken deal. You can get in by writing, or through first year grades, which need to be insanely high...ON ALL CLASSES. In addition, the immediate rewards are minimal at best. You spend the next year of law school buried not only in your own books, but in other peoples' as well, correcting their mistakes and editing all kinds of papers. It sounds like paper boot camp to me, but the long term benefits are pretty amazing.

With law review under your belt, you are considered for many more opportunities when you graduate and are in the working world. Attorneys look very highly on law reviewers for the simple fact that they have been trained to work like a dog to be precise, reliable, ahead of the game in research, and persuasive all at the same time. These are great characteristics and skills that only law review can give a law student, albiet the excruciating time.

In the end of my research, the question is whether I want to make law review.
Ahem, u know me.
HELL YEAH.
Bring on the pain.

Milk Bar

Browsing CNN Travel section and thought this article was both interesting and informative. Next time I hit Eastern Europe, Poland's milk bars will be on my list. This sort of culture experience is what traveling is all about.