legal woes II: the arraignment

Fearing getting lost, the wife and I showed up to court two hours early; we expected to watch the proceedings, but the courtroom doors didn’t open until 6:00pm, our scheduled time. Before we went in, the bailiff told everyone (there were over 60 people in the lobby outside) to take off our hats. Sadly, my hair was sticking up and a bit to the side (worse than when Stevenson ordered me to put the hat back on). After a 40 minute speech from the judge about defensive driving and payment systems, I got in a line and requested a court date. I couldn’t believe it. There I was, looking forward to standing up and telling the judge “not guilty” like in Law & Order.

Something else that struck me was that every person who pled not guilty (besides myself) requested a jury trial. If some redneck (remember, this is Humble, so it’s safe to presume redneckery) made me sit on a jury because he doesn’t think he ran some stop sign, I’d vote guilty just to punish him for wasting my time.

The evening turned out well as my court date is a Thursday, so I won’t have to risk missing Con Law.

(note: I know that no one care about reading this, but I think all blogs are exercises in narcissism)

Scientology

This is an interesting article about Scientology and their Gestapo tactics; apparently their constantly suing everyone (do a lexis search for “Religious Technology Center” (a part of the church) and you’ll max out with 100 responses.

Most of the suits involve copyright violations by ex-members publishing Scientology teachings. This synopsis has to be the funniest thing I’ve read in some time.

“According to Scientology teachings, prince Xenu once ruled over the Galactic Federation. 75,000,000 years ago, Xenu solved the overpopulation in his realm by eliminating people and banishing their souls (‘thetans') to Teegeeack (Earth). Xenu put the thetans in volcanoes on Las Palmas and Hawaii, and then bombed them with atomic weapons. After that, the thetans floated in the atmosphere. A thetan occupies a body and moves to another when the body dies. But when a thetan has done too many harmful things and is keeping too many secrets, he can't face up to life anymore and clings to the old body.”

What’s really sad is that this isn’t made up. If it were false, there would be no copyright issue, but a libel suit.

There’s a surprise

The Oscar nominations came out today, and I refuse to believe them: Fahrenheit 9/11 wasn’t nominated for anything (even after Moore’s public decision to enter the film for best picture and not best documentary). Either the Hollywood crowd isn’t as liberal as I thought or Paul Wolfowitz and the Saudi princes control everything.

Apparently Rehnquist is pro-choice

I have now heard the worst scare-tactic since the Gore campaign. Some pro-choice spokesperson was on the news warning that Rehnquist will soon leave the bench, and his replacement could put Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) in jeopardy. I find this hard to believe, considering old Bill Rehnquist wrote a dissent in that case; how could replacing one opponent of Roe with another put the decision in jeopardy? They would have a legitimate argument if Stevens were to retire or if Ginsburg returns to her home planet. Even then, pro-life Republicans only manage to put a pro-lifer on the bench 50% of the time: for Scalia and Thomas there are O’Connor and Souter.

Yes, I know this is an incredibly old article, but it’s the best I could find.

Yes, I know this is an incredibly old article, but it’s the best I could find.
Basically it’s about several separate groups of scientists who have promising, albeit inconsistent results generating heat through low temperature fusion. This could perhaps produce consistent results if the government could give these scientists as much funding as the Presidential inauguration ($40 million) or even as much as we waste for the National Endowment for the Arts ($140 million). Cold fusion could end our dependence on oil, which could severely hurt the Texas economy, but would take away all of the income to the Middle East, and thus much of the funding for terrorists. Without the need for oil (and the inevitable time when we run out), I won’t even need the Oregon compound.

Another reason to hate Hilton furnature

I’m sure everyone knows the annoying commercials for Hilton furniture featuring someone who is either drunk or has an abnormally low IQ ending his commercials with “Ohhhhhh! And that’s a fact Jack!” I’ve personally disliked him ever since he beat Mattress Mack on Conan and have truly hated him since he started using that kid of his in commercials. I just saw him, his wife and a son and daughter (or at least actors pretending to be the same) on a commercial. Apparently, he named his daughter “Paris.” Paris Hilton? He named his child after a drunken amateur porn star? What’s his son’s name, Jack Mehoff Hilton?

Preparing for the Bar.

I figured that if I want any hope of passing the Bar in a few years, I should at least check out a bar. I guess that was my reasoning after I got there; I only went because Senator Ilan threatened me with serious bodily injury if I didn’t agree to go. This makes the second group I’ve seen socially since Lauren and I were married (our only other friends are the Stevensons). It was good fun (almost as much fun as talking about fundamental property rights or the seperation of powers: the other highlights of my week).

This trip raised my total alcohol consumed since turning 21 to none. I'm on pace to my 20th and 19th years.

Holy Crap!

Someone posted a comment!

clarification

To clarify the previous post, Lauren does not, nor ever will poop on me. It was purely figurative.

Lauren beat me

Lauren won a legal argument with me. She told me to post it. Poop on me.

Steiner told a joke

Today in torts we did two cases about heavy drinking and one about a hot-air balloon salesman. Before a case involving one Decareaux, the professor said “we did two cases on drinking and one about being full of hot air, which inescapably leads to our next topic: Cajuns.” That came after he introduced respondeat superior with a picture of the responsible M. Burns and the oft negligent H. Simpson. He may not give high grades, but at least he keeps class interesting.

grade chances for Spring 2005

School starts tomorrow, and I’m not optimistic for my GPA. Last spring, my set of professors graded 400 total exams. Of those, only one was an A+; three profs gave zero. My Torts prof not only gave no A+, but didn’t give a single A. What is the point of the school offering an A+ (or A) if the professors don’t deem any students worthy of the grade?

I realize that any professor could read this post and be offended, but I’m just kidding myself if I think that anyone but myself actually reads this thing.

"stereophonic sleaze compendium"

The Smoking Gun's "sources" list some of Jacko's more disgusting misdeeds (title of post links to article). He looked at porn with the children, taught them to masturbate, conspired to kidnap and a litany of other sundry actions.

I think the best proof is that he drinks Skyy vodka. I don't even drink and I know that Skyy dissolves the Y chromosome on contact.

break

Wow, the break really sucks. I'm switching between numbing boredom and paralyzing fear of getting my grades. I'm actually looking forward to Property and Con Law this month.