Halfway Mark

As the post obviously states, this is the halfway mark of my semester at school. I cannot wait for it to be over.

I'm really tired of school. This semester is extremely rough, and I believe it is due to the material being taught. All of the material is dry and I know that none of the classes are areas of the law that I want to get into. One course the teacher (who is 72 years old and refuses to wear hearing aids by the way) goes over the material in 2 1/2 classes, then spends the following class reviewing the exactly same material in depth---why do we have to spend almost 4 classes on material that can be completed in one class?

Another class will just come down to memorization. It doesn't really involve many cases; instead, you just have to know different statutes.

I find all of this dry and have a hard time paying attention in class. I can stay on task for short stretches, but then I completely lose focus.

If this had been my first semester at law school, I honestly don't know if I'd still be enrolled.

"You no call me long time"

I was with this Chinese hooker a few times in the past (anyone say wishy washy?) and haven't really been with her in a few months. I was feeling frisky tonight so I gave her a call and that is what she told me.

Alright, that's not really true, but that would probably be an interesting story if it were.

I didn't think I ordered that much Chinese food delivery, but after tonight, I realize that I must order too often.

Now, everyone in the house always orders from the same place. When I called up to place an order, they first ask for your address. When I told her my address she said "You no call me long time." Yep, that's exactly what she said, word for word. Then she proceeded to finish my order for me--I'd start saying what I wanted then she would say the rest, as in "you want extra iced tea too?"

Ok, so I order too much. However that's not the end of it. About a half hour later, I hear a car horn outside and assume (rightfully) that it is the food. As I get to the door, the delivery guy is walking up the driveway and I can see the big smile on his face. He gets to the door and says "You good customer. I like deliver here." Now, I will admit that I tip fairly well when he delivers (because everyone knows you need a good rapport with your Chinese delivery men) but for him to know me that well is kind of weird.

To be honest, I cannot remember the last time I ordered food from this restaurant (I know I did in December when studying for finals, but can't remember after that).

Maybe I should put a cot in my house, similar to what Adam Sandler did in Big Daddy...

Gumshoes

What does RoboCrook, Vic the Slick, Top Grunge, Rockapella, Lynne Thigpen, and have in common?

No answer? What about if I include the following lyrics:
"Well she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina,
She's a sticky-fingered flicher from Berlin down to Belieze.
She'll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China,
Tell me _____ __ ___ _____ __ ______ ________?

Steal their Seoul in South Korea, make Antarctica cry uncle,
From the Red Sea to Greenland they'll be singing the blues
Well they never Arkansas her steal the Mekong from the jungle,
Tell me _____ __ ___ _____ __ ______ ________?

She goes from Botswana to Thailand, Milan via Amsterdam
Mali to Bali, Ohio and back

Well she'll ransack Pakistan and run a scam in Scandinavia.
Then she'll stick 'em up Down Under and go pick-pocket Perth.
She put the Miss in misdemeanor when she stole the beans from Lima.
Tell me _____ __ ___ _____ __ ______ ________?"

No guess? What if I say it is an old television show on PBS and the above lyrics is the third verse of the theme song?

Still no clue? What if I say that Rockapella (who sang the theme song), does a different version of the song for the Today show, and it is used approximately twice a year for a week at a time?


Keep guessing...


Ok, if you haven't figured it out yet, the show was "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" The show aired from 1991 to 1996 on PBS. RoboCrook, Vic the Slick, and Top Grunge were criminals that the contestants were chasing across the globe. Lynne Thigpen was the "The Chief" and as previously stated, Rockapella sang the theme song.

Why am I posting about a show that has been off the air for 12 years? Well, for some reason, right as I was finishing up my shower this morning, the song popped into my head and I sang it for the next hour or two. I have no idea why, just a very random thing so I decided to create a post about it.

Some links to enjoy:
Rockapella "Where in the World is Carmen Sandeigo?" Theme Song


Rockapella Folgers Commercial (well known commercial)


Why is this show no longer on the air, not even reruns? (NOTE: the 1991 season was never re-aired because following that season, the USSR collapsed and the show was not politically correct. Starting the following year, at the end of the show, The Chief would say something about the show being correct as of the date of production, which was then shown on the screen) I learned more geography watching that show than I did in school. The show should still be on, at least reruns, so children of today can learn where different countries, or different states, are located.

Still don't get the reference to the Today show? A few times a year, they do a segment called "Where in the World is Matt Lauer" where he travels to a different location each day for a week. I tried finding a clip of this, but couldn't get a decent version. Best I could find.

Randomness

1. What is the last alcoholic beverage you drank?
Miller Lite (bottle) at Whisky Dix

2. Do you follow college football?
Not really.

3. How many miles does your car have on it?
About 37k

4. Who was the last person to send you a text message and what was it about?
VH, conversing about what happened at Whisky Dix & whether he missed anything

5. Last time you went swimming in a pool?
I have no idea…wait, the last time was at 2006 Grand Chapter in Kansas City—the pool was officially closed, but we stayed in it til about 7:30am. The next day was really really long…

6. Are you happy?
I try to be

7. Where was the last place you went shopping?
ACME

8. How do you feel about your hair?
Apathetic

9. Where do you work?
Right now, no where. Soon I’ll be back at Cavanaugh’s.

10. Last thing you ate?
Pretzels

11. Last time you smoked a cigarette
Last summer maybe?

12. Do you have any expensive jewelry?
No

13. What classes are you taking?
Administrative Law, Constitutional Law II, Business Organizations, Legal Methods III…the real question…ask me which one I like/enjoy

14. How many hours on average do you work a week:
No job—see #9

15. Do you watch the Olympics?
Sometimes. I don’t schedule to watch them though.

16. Last bar you went to?
Whisky Dix.

17. Who was the last person to call you?
Dad

18. What's your sign?
Aquarius

19. Last time you did volunteer work or made any donations?
Project DUFF

20. Where does most of your family live?
Amish country

21. Are you an only child or do you have siblings?
I have one older biological sister. I also have 2 step-brothers and multiple half-siblings, but I’ve only ever lived with my one half-brother.

22. Ever been called a bitch?
probably

23. Do you drink beer?
Of course

24. Have you ever experienced true love?
I hope I have not, but can’t really say

25. Ever ordered anything online?
Cell phones, cameras, books, flowers, etc.

26. What is your favorite subject?
So far in law school, I’d say Criminal Law. I’m looking forward to taking Rules of Evidence and Criminal Procedure next semester (that is if I don’t flunk out this semester)

27. Were you an outcast in high school?
Outcast is a harsh term. I had a small group of close friends, but was generally liked by almost all of my classmates.

28. Last time you saw your parents?
This past Saturday when they came to my house

29. Ever been in a wedding?
Yep...when my mom remarried

30. last movie you watched?
Ali (with Will Smith)

31. are you missing anyone right now?
Always am…

32. Did you take a nap today?
What day do I not take a nap?

33. What was your high school's mascot?
Mountaineer

34. Do you have any wealthy friends?
If so, I hope they know I accept all forms of payment (personal check, cash, money orders, etc)

35. Ever met anyone really famous before?
I interviewed the then-Miss America during my senior year of High School. Can’t think of anyone more recent, but there might have been.

36. Do you have any grandparents still alive?
Maternal grandmother. I think both of my (biological) paternal grandparents, but I haven’t seen or talked to them in a couple of years.

37. What is your average cell phone bill?
around 100 bucks

38. Ever had to take a sobriety test?
Nope—only ever got pulled over for DUI once. I was home from college when my sister gave birth to my nephew and it was about 3am as I was coming home from the hospital. I wasn’t really paying attention and took my half out of the middle of the road, and got pulled over. It was great when the officer asked if I was drinking to be able to respond “I’m not old enough to drink.”

39. Do you believe in Karma?
No. I think people should do good things for others because they want to, not because they think something good will happen to themselves in return.

40. Last time you went to the gym or worked out?
Not since beginning of the year because of my back

41. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
3 (2 pairs of sneakers & dress shoes)

42. Last place you drove in a car:
Home from school

43. What is your college mascot?
Temple Owl

44. Ever been to Las Vegas?
Yep, though didn’t really win any money

45. Have you ever bought condoms?
Yep. Best was 10 for a dollar at Temple.

46. Do you have a favorite cartoon character?
Gary & Ace.

47. Do you drunk dial?
Not so much anymore…though during college I had a habit of calling my parents while drunk

Two Decades

7,306 days...

175,344 hours...
10,520,640 minutes...
631,238,400 seconds...
Time does not always heal...

Milestones missed:
5^th thru 24^th birthday
Learning to drive/getting driver’s license
High School Graduation
Election as Historian, Vice President and President of Alpha Lambda chapter of Phi Sigma Pi
College Graduation
Acceptance to law school
Election (and re-election) as a National Officer of Phi Sigma Pi
Many more yet to happen...

Feelings experienced
Pain. Sorrow. Grief. Anger. Loneliness. Sadness. Glad. Hurt. Rejection. Unforgiveness. Joy. Resentment. Abandoned. Inspired.

Can I ever be this happy again?
I really don't know and that scares the crap outta me

A Night Wasted

Tonight pretty much sucked. TW from Cavanaugh’s was turning 21 so the plan was to get together at Whisky Dix near Old City. I was to pick CH. up on the way to the bar. However, as I started driving, I knew something was wrong. I heard this strange noise and felt the car pulling to the side. So I pulled over and got out to look at the car. Sure enough, I had a flat tire. From my best guess, snow, slush & ice built up in the back of the wheel well and then froze solid against the tire. When I started to drive, the ice essentially scored the tire and soon punctured the tire.

Now, I recently changed insurance companies and with the new insurance I purchased 24-hour emergency roadside assistance. Now, I could have changed the tire myself, but since I have a bad back and it was freezing cold outside, I thought it best to use the roadside assistance. I called the number and after being put on hold (off & on) for about 20 minutes or so, the operator told me that all of the contracted companies in the area were unavailable. She offered to use the Philly yellow pages to call someone to come fix the tire, but then I would most likely have to pay for it and apply for reimbursement. Instead, I drove the two or so blocks to my house and left the car there.

I called CH and told her what was going on and she decided she would pick me up & we’d go to Whisky Dix. While waiting for her to pick me up, AO called and asked if I knew the bouncers at the door because he was bringing his girlfriend who was underage. I told him I’ve never been to the bar so I had no idea who could be working. CH picked me up and when we got to Whisky Dix, TW was standing out front. We parked in the lot and didn’t see TW outside anymore so we went into the bar (gotta love club courtesy—no cover!). So CH & I go in and order a couple bottles of beer.

Now, let me describe Whisky Dix. It is a hard core biker bar at its best. There was a hardcore rock/grunge band playing so loud I couldn’t hear a damn thing. A moose head and ceiling fan were covered with hanging bras and underwear. The one bartender (shaved head, goatee, wife beater, arms covered in tattoos, etc) got up on the bar and started blowing fire. He also started spitting 151 all over everyone in the crowd (not all of it lit up). An alcohol shower was interesting to say the least. CH & I stuck out like sore thumbs (I was in jeans, a polo & my leather jacket). It was obvious we didn’t belong.

We kept looking around for TW but couldn’t find him. After 10 minutes or so, he showed up and said he had been out front because AO’s girl couldn’t get in. He asked if I could get them into any area bars and I told him I could try & that after we finished our beers, we’d be outside. (while drinking, I text’d the security manager from one of my old jobs who told me I could probably get in there).

So we get outside and I tell them we can get into my old job, but nobody seems particularly interested. AO ends up leaving (with his underage girlfriend, thus eliminating the problem). However, instead of going back into the bar, TW decides we should go up to the far Northeast to a bar. Now, CH wasn’t planning on staying a long time because she had another party to go to, so she wasn’t thrilled with the idea. I wasn’t driving (and had planned on taking a cab back home) so getting stuck in the NE wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Why we didn’t go back into the bar (seeing as everyone was now of age) that we were originally supposed to, I’ll never know.

CH and I discussed it and I told her that if she didn’t want to go, then we didn’t have to, I didn’t really care. Instead of having me take a cab, she ended up bringing me back home.

So to recap my night:
Left house at 9:05 & got flat tire
Went to bar for a 21^st birthday and had a single beer (didn’t drink with the birthday guy)
Was dropped off at my home by 11:30

What a waste of a night…

UPDATE: I went to get a new tire on Monday and since I had just bought four new tires last August, I still had a warranty on the tire. So I got a tire (including installation) for $30. About $35 discount. Not too shabby.

New Design

As is probably obvious, there is a new look to my blog. Why? Because Blogger is trying to get everyone to upgrade their accounts to Google, and I decided to make the change sooner rather than later. During the change over, I decided a fresh look was needed.