tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839461151838705372024-03-04T21:51:43.220-08:0010,000 hoursLuciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-13307106302514472712009-12-16T13:54:00.000-08:002009-12-16T14:30:56.843-08:00Top 6 cds of 2009, IMHO:)It is that time of year when everyone and their dog releases a top 10 list. With the explosion of blogs and everything related, you can hardly surf the web anymore without tripping over someone's thoughts about the year that was. I usually will glide on by unless it is top 10 related to music or movies. I must admit that most names on the 2009 versions are unknown to me as I don't listen to the radio very much anymore. <br /><br />Nevertheless, I do follow somewhat the goings-on of the music world. Recently I made a comment on my facebook about the current state of music and my friend Dave sent me to his blog which had his Top 5 cds of 2009. He wrote that since there were not enough quality cds released this year he had to do a top 5 instead of a top 10. I thought, I can list at least 10 great cds from this year. I made my list and then did some research and realized that several of my choices were not released this year but were actually from 2008. I was unable to list 10 good cds from this year which is sad.<br /><br />Here's my list:<br /><strong>Rodrigo y Gabriela - 11:11</strong>: If you haven't listened to these guys yet, stop reading and go find something of theirs. This is their second cd and it is amazing. Anyone who plays guitar will find their jaw routinely dropping as this duo. For the uniniated, Rodrigo y Gabriela are a duo from Mexico who play acoustic guitars but it is unlike any other instrumental acoustic music you have ever heard.<br /><br /><strong>AFI - Crash Love</strong>: I am not one of those AFI fans who has been lamenting the change they have undergone since their cd "Black Sails at Sunset." I have listened to this cd about 20 times and I love it more every time. Their progression as a band seems to always track where I am in my life. This one is best when cranked to the maximum volume possible.<br /><br /><strong>Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night</strong>: There is no other guitarist currently playing that makes me want to play more than Brad Paisley. A great set of songs which is funny as well as amazingly played.<br /><br /><strong>Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plague Lovers</strong>: not very familiar here in hte U.S. which is a shame because they are one of the top selling bands in the U.K. EVER! They are super liberal which may put off some listeners but the songs are amazing.<br /><br /><strong>Tom Waits - Gloom and Doom Live</strong>: Tom Waits would make this list whenever he puts out a record which is increasingly rare these days. I love his work and this is a live set from his most recent tour and focuses on his later work. Plus there is a bonus cd of Tom telling stories!<br /><br /><strong>Morrissey - Years of Refusal</strong>: My wife and her brothers are huge Morrissey fans. I have never been much of one until I heard this album. Of all the cds on this list, I have listened to this one the most. Depression has never been so much fun:)Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-46301439440313254922009-11-22T23:30:00.000-08:002009-11-22T23:51:11.936-08:00Random Thoughts....<div>1. It is hard for me not to think of the opening sequence of the old cartoon show, Duck Tales, when I hear that New Moon debuted this weekend to the tune of $140 million...particularly the scene where Uncle Scrooge goes swimming in his money.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>2. The longer I live in oregon, the more my assumptions about it are blown away. The strongest chapter of the KKK west of the Mississippi was based in Ashland, Oregon and it was illegal for African Americans to live in Oregon until the mid-1900's</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>3. There is no lonelier place on a Sunday night than the University library</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>4. It is interesting what would have happened to my career in film if YouTube had existed when I was a film major.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>5. What exactly does Twitter mean?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>6. It took me 35 years but I can finally type without looking at the keyboard. Somewhere my pencil is silently weeping.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>7. I miss the old-school guitar intros in rock songs. The ones where you immediately knew the song and it made you want to pick up your guitar and play. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>8. Why am I increasingly disturbed by the stories I hear about what my country in doing to people in my name? I get madder every day, especially since our current President vowed to stop these abuses.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>9. I wish I was big enough to play rugby.</div><div> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6iXlKadkL27Vzp-VmHjgp-YASxNtjHiswhbEb3FsfqE5IH9cr9l4ZsZC51AtejsA2YHAguZdEZUBCRac6v8aO4CF_GkK40ypsQLPom1JI-QHia3pWNogdkjHJbWclMYb_CbO0Z6Oj7cu/s1600/tonga3_gallery__470x334.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407203245085612754" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie6iXlKadkL27Vzp-VmHjgp-YASxNtjHiswhbEb3FsfqE5IH9cr9l4ZsZC51AtejsA2YHAguZdEZUBCRac6v8aO4CF_GkK40ypsQLPom1JI-QHia3pWNogdkjHJbWclMYb_CbO0Z6Oj7cu/s200/tonga3_gallery__470x334.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-76235543870728025042009-11-22T14:24:00.000-08:002009-11-22T16:31:56.892-08:00The end is in sight....for the semester at least<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnG1JE8FdHirwGVBMjwFlAwhEpkI0BiHjMy0y93vX9jLxf8mQPyPUotjZ_OjoZlDvthDzWJQzbMcLfItG6ulyxFPRCr927F2YaidCacBsOwT-YvCTEIweydA4Qy6Vh5f3623ihUSNaQVoW/s1600/van+gogh+flowers.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 155px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407090235555570610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnG1JE8FdHirwGVBMjwFlAwhEpkI0BiHjMy0y93vX9jLxf8mQPyPUotjZ_OjoZlDvthDzWJQzbMcLfItG6ulyxFPRCr927F2YaidCacBsOwT-YvCTEIweydA4Qy6Vh5f3623ihUSNaQVoW/s200/van+gogh+flowers.jpg" /></a><br /><div>I am so close to finishing my first semester as an LLM student and it cannot come fast enough. Granted I have a ton of stuff to finish before the final bell but this experiment has been an incredible trial. Most of the fault for that lies with me and my unrealistic expectations. I came back to school mor ethan a little bit cocky. I thought that since I was already an attorney and had passed the bar, that everything would be easy. that I would not have to try very hard to get good grades. this has not been the case....far from it actually. Additionally, the program itself has not been what I wanted or perhaps even needed. It is not managed very well, there is a poor selection of courses and nobody in the administration seems to know what to do with me. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Maybe I should have thought this through a little more...but then again I did recieve an answer ot my prayers to bring my family to Oregon. Doubt and faith cannot exist in the same person at the same time. Perhaps during this break for Christmas, I should work on my faith. I certainly could use the help in that area.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The sun was out today for the first time in a week. I really enjoyed it. </div>Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-73442234754948511432009-11-08T00:02:00.000-08:002009-11-08T00:05:52.279-08:00Music I have been jamming to lately....Crash Love by AFI<br />Futures by Jimmy Eat World<br />Appeal to Reason by Rise Against<br />Forth by The Verve<br />Alter the Ending by Dashboard Confessional<br />American Saturday Night by Brad Paisley<br />The Best of Morrissey by MorrisseyLuciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-15629942864981678702009-11-03T13:00:00.000-08:002009-11-03T13:05:37.280-08:00I haven't posted in awhile. Just been feeling overwhelmed and underperforming. Liz and I both got the flu which was frustrating and scary. My grandpa is dying in the hospital with pancreatic cancer which has effected me more than I thought. School is winding down in three weeks and I have an seemingly unsurmountable amount of work to do before Thanksgiving. And Sammy is due to make his debut in January.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Wow! I am such a whiner:(<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yTd50SvqhFeHm5X83XJNurq9rcSe7lB7GM8WIAUUsL-jnkqLSnqu13R6Axr7lnAFVUd5fqB9Yi-PZLHhrVqfWVa-Mu42QuTocHQ8d3KP9de2E1vuYRJMMBcFTMb_Nt0XHuTQ49HtuGoR/s1600-h/Oregon+Coast+Yellowstone+Silver+falls+160.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399986350309761666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yTd50SvqhFeHm5X83XJNurq9rcSe7lB7GM8WIAUUsL-jnkqLSnqu13R6Axr7lnAFVUd5fqB9Yi-PZLHhrVqfWVa-Mu42QuTocHQ8d3KP9de2E1vuYRJMMBcFTMb_Nt0XHuTQ49HtuGoR/s200/Oregon+Coast+Yellowstone+Silver+falls+160.jpg" /></a><br /><br />I am truly blessed when I trhink about it!Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-14474933287000818742009-08-19T19:15:00.001-07:002009-08-19T19:29:59.095-07:00Orientation DayI had my first day of orientation which was really interesting. It was in a large auditorium and I was one of 3 LLM students. The other 120 or so were 1Ls. Most of the orientation was geared towards them and rightfully so as their trek will more difficult than mine right now. I kept thinking to myself, "They have no idea what is ahead of them." I know it is a very paternalistic thing to think but I am about to be a father and I am several years ahead of them. <br /><br />I remembered my first day of oreintation for Loyola. It was hard to believe that I had made it into law school and that I had just moved myself to New Orleans, LA. I looked around my class that evening and I was filled with a sense of elation. Things were going to work out great, I thought. Little did I know that 10 days later, i would be in a stranger's home 3 hours north of NOLA, watching Hurricane Katrina rip the city apart. Nor did I know that I would attend three different law schools and end up practicing law in Chicago, Illinois over the next 4 years.<br /><br />The students this morning, similarly, had no idea what was ahead of them. It may not be a natural disaster which will be taught to their children in history class but they will not be the same. And under Willamette's strict grading policy, at least 12 of them will be out trying to figure out another career because they failed out. I felt sad and oddly happy for them. It will bond them to their classmates in a way that I never got to experience. It may also be more than some can handle. Law school is rough, probably rougher than most practices of law. Maybe it is meant to be that way, a sort of initiation rite to join the fraternity. It does create an instant connection to other attorneys once you start practicing.<br /><br />In the end, I envied them a bit since they have three more years before the bite of reality will first sting them. As tough as law school was, it is a sort of fairyland place where growing up can be put off another couple of years. Not that law school creates perpetual Peter and Patricia Pan's but that you can just be a student for a little while longer before you have to figure out careers and lives that will carry you to retirement. <br /><br />I know this sounds sad and depressing but I am excited to get another crack at school and try to improve my family's situation.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-40350488977703075282009-08-16T23:14:00.000-07:002009-08-16T23:28:03.729-07:00Moe's and the matter of effort.My wife and I went to the Oregon Coast this weekend, Lincoln City specifically. It was a sunny but cool day which was beautiful and restful. On our way home, we decided to visit a restaurant called Moe's which is very well known and popular here. (<a href="http://www.moschowder.com/home.cfm?dir_cat=13368">http://www.moschowder.com/home.cfm?dir_cat=13368</a>)<br /><br />The line was out of the door when we arrived. We decided to stay anyway since every one we have met in Oregon has asked us if we had eaten here. I can say a few things about Moe's and none of them are very good. The service was atrocious and the food was mediocre. The plates were sloppily maintained. More importantly, it cost $40. Now I am not usually one to complain about food. I have shared a meal of dogs and horses with a thousand flies before while seated on the dirt floor of a thatched roof hut but I find as I get older my tolerance for laziness and incivility has diminished.<br /><br />Anyway, my wife and I discussed it for awhile on the two hour drive back and came to the conclusion that Moe's is simply a victim of its own success. At one point it was no doubt a small mom and pop chowder stand that did well during the tourist season. However, it had grown too big (6 locations) to maintain quality or perhaps they had just stopped trying. I think it is probably a mixture of both. On my way out, I asked the cashier, as I pointed to the line of at least 50 people spiraling slowly out the door, if it was always "this" busy and he replied with exhausted eyes, "Yes, always." I asked myself if I would keep trying hard every single day if even my most mediocre efforts were rewarded. I didn' t like the answer I gave myself...*sigh*Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-29175945006974958122009-08-07T21:12:00.000-07:002009-08-07T21:19:30.575-07:00Salem, OregonI recently moved from the thriving metropolis of Chicago to the bustling burg of Salem, Oregon. The reasons and events of that trek are a whole entry, perhaps several. Just a couple observations about Salem:<br />1. It must be against the law for men to have sleeves on their tee shirts as no one but me seems to have them.<br />2. Salem has a high density of obese people.<br />3. Everyone in Salem smokes.<br />4. The capitol building is a couple of blocks from my house and looks like an LDS Temple.<br />5. The golden statue actually is a pioneer man with a long golden cape which makes no sense<br />6. There are a lot of trees here.<br />7. The city of Eugene, Oregon hosts a festival every August called Fairyworld and it is a very bizarre event.'<br />8. It is also legal in the city of Eugene to be naked though no one who chooses to do so is anyone you would want to see naked.<br />9. It is our new home.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-50219872440190428532009-04-10T22:12:00.000-07:002009-04-10T22:17:34.692-07:00Books I have read in the last yearDracula by Bram Stoker<br />Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon<br />Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro<br />The long Halloween by Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale<br />Rats by Robert Sullivan<br />How to be Alone by Jonathan Franzen<br />Specimen Days by Michael Cunnigham<br />Frankenstein by Mary Shelley<br />Usagi Yojimbo by Stan SakaiLuciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-22356584428940693692009-03-08T08:31:00.001-07:002009-03-08T09:00:11.011-07:00I am sitting here on a Sunday morning looking out the window by the computer desk and watching the rain drip off the trees. It has been dark and gray the past couple of days here which is a drastic change from the 70 degree weather we had on Friday. The thing that most impresses me is that spring is truly on the way. This is one of my happy thoughts since the winter was so brutal this year. I have a couple other happy thouhgts. My wife is the most amazing person I have ever met. she gets me through the day. Some days when things are really brutal in the courtroom, I will flip open my phone and look at the picture of her which pops up. It makes any situation easier to handle.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />lately I have been obessessing over three things: Thelonius Monk, Lil Wayne, and learning how to make a good gumbo.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5euYavv5AXzKTBbn5vL3TI2WhaHKVYTx6YGGlFUe4s0bYvG2M4v45XBlrmoTKg9DMko9H6B38D9VqFjYH9jBVFHrb4H7SMQDQCN7um0PLfBcOSLW7LdrmwNvbOtfMR_06kW3F_bbeWLD/s1600-h/monk4.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 181px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310841587587167074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5euYavv5AXzKTBbn5vL3TI2WhaHKVYTx6YGGlFUe4s0bYvG2M4v45XBlrmoTKg9DMko9H6B38D9VqFjYH9jBVFHrb4H7SMQDQCN7um0PLfBcOSLW7LdrmwNvbOtfMR_06kW3F_bbeWLD/s200/monk4.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Thelonius Monk was one of the great jazz pianists of all time. Sure, he was a little unstable, like so many great artists, but I just really connect with his sound. I have recently begun to really explore jazz which is a art form I have never really taken time to try and understand. I played in some jazz bands in high school but I never really listened to it outside of rehearsal time. I was too obsessed with death metal and the like to give it a chance. <br /><br />I think my current interest started when I picked up a John Coltrane cd, "A Love Supreme", on a whim at the public library. I loved it and decided to check out some other stuff. The interesting thing is that I have yet to look into any jazz guitarists which for anyone who knows me is surprising given the fact that guitar was my life for many years. <br /><br />Perhaps it is the "different-ness" of it that intrigues me... which is also probably why I obsess over Lil Wayne. I have only listened to a couple of his songs, usually edited versions since he is particularly fond of several euphemisms which I have been stubbornly trying to eradicate from my vocabulary. He is just fascinating to me. I will watch some of his videos at the gym when I am on the treadmill and I think that he is more of a rockstar than most working in that genre today.... and Lil wayne is from New Orleans and I have for some reason been missing New Orleans alot lately.....*sigh* New orleans is one of the few remaining places in America which is truly unique. It has a culture and atmosphere all of its own. I encourage anyone reading this to go and visit it once in their lifetime. It is not all Mardi Gras and drunken coeds lifting their tops. There is an amazing art scene and the food is awesome and you can avoid the seedier elements if you want. Check out a little place called the Gumbo Shop, 630 St. Peter Street, just a block away from the cathedral. When I lived there I took everyone who came to visit me there. I just found out seconds ago while I was researching the address that the place has a new owner who plans to turn it into a franchise which is a terrible terrible idea but desperate times call for desperate measures, i suppose.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-37265499609765627612009-01-06T19:20:00.000-08:002009-01-06T19:55:08.808-08:00Ladies that rock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHv5aTyJxr3EpGE7pQTkmKbk2uxnuknZj_cH_-xUa170ARkgKJ10GwdolzRvhEYYFDN7SEeukqeuX0mo5k-xyf2hInkqyb2Bl2ASuDYkVv8TatReO5kjiEj4tZ01dAJTi_scfwyQwRVr54/s1600-h/Shakira.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393976702631650" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHv5aTyJxr3EpGE7pQTkmKbk2uxnuknZj_cH_-xUa170ARkgKJ10GwdolzRvhEYYFDN7SEeukqeuX0mo5k-xyf2hInkqyb2Bl2ASuDYkVv8TatReO5kjiEj4tZ01dAJTi_scfwyQwRVr54/s200/Shakira.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcwvmEUBpmUUrJVA9C2jrlyghAyEn7PSB3X2fYjD62-NVhNwSWIGqFza2zIeJZUgmiYJMsQhALM1RWqttvwfJ8lpgTLCilC71PNC-OyDqHdtjAOoS5keRi2kLPUPPlLowLMtJlFcPECSO/s1600-h/Rodrigo-y-Gabriela-bh01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393888714015298" style="WIDTH: 134px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcwvmEUBpmUUrJVA9C2jrlyghAyEn7PSB3X2fYjD62-NVhNwSWIGqFza2zIeJZUgmiYJMsQhALM1RWqttvwfJ8lpgTLCilC71PNC-OyDqHdtjAOoS5keRi2kLPUPPlLowLMtJlFcPECSO/s200/Rodrigo-y-Gabriela-bh01.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNn23rE077WoS7PWpd5v4qrIvzKzpkbQCm8vy5XcbUEHvxfw5NNqpyrNeQMsACSSKsG2q9gAB1U4ZCtlG8_xDp0fo-gfuEqteJfy0CFXNzIIIxrZ6UrMTQ2InVsAZjOv26QU-O0g0soHy_/s1600-h/PJ_Harvey_2007_283161840_std.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393787870447506" style="WIDTH: 132px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNn23rE077WoS7PWpd5v4qrIvzKzpkbQCm8vy5XcbUEHvxfw5NNqpyrNeQMsACSSKsG2q9gAB1U4ZCtlG8_xDp0fo-gfuEqteJfy0CFXNzIIIxrZ6UrMTQ2InVsAZjOv26QU-O0g0soHy_/s200/PJ_Harvey_2007_283161840_std.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVT8Vd5XA3IGEOe2LhDTSeqsxRWxU1I3HmGWjb-SmY2qCHZYLqG34rKi4ufYXBVdQqeAFc11oVgYgMy0hyfvKc9_oKU4LSqqhbk9wv5YOtl18J1Cp1U-NJCxm0JOrYtCegJmnESF_w_Ctl/s1600-h/pipettes_wideweb__470x314,0.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393700494275170" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVT8Vd5XA3IGEOe2LhDTSeqsxRWxU1I3HmGWjb-SmY2qCHZYLqG34rKi4ufYXBVdQqeAFc11oVgYgMy0hyfvKc9_oKU4LSqqhbk9wv5YOtl18J1Cp1U-NJCxm0JOrYtCegJmnESF_w_Ctl/s200/pipettes_wideweb__470x314,0.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKagvReE-vPxkCMGcG0Ni2OuddICawWImNMd663SaVB9VGMFXUidUl9MjiZFUrs8yCW_rE3AeFIemDPyi66npe1c5yhD6kJJGo7fOu9fnxcOTTnAWu6mcruBaXZ1rFfgEt2nkPEmnNQMy0/s1600-h/fitzgerald.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393615976594898" style="WIDTH: 161px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKagvReE-vPxkCMGcG0Ni2OuddICawWImNMd663SaVB9VGMFXUidUl9MjiZFUrs8yCW_rE3AeFIemDPyi66npe1c5yhD6kJJGo7fOu9fnxcOTTnAWu6mcruBaXZ1rFfgEt2nkPEmnNQMy0/s200/fitzgerald.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1HSDt2pWQ1s4EAthbRREf6d0F4V-pjzbXVT5E9HNdPfEyzAP6AkFPXwCZNK5lEEo1mKMEJbIAcHBv9afChyphenhyphenYNMiiyBMt5_q46xE9z3TDZBotzS05yycObHQVO_uLleawL_7RpEnb_Qnh/s1600-h/Duffy%2520colour%2520beach%2520DIGITAL%2520copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393369547142562" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 144px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv1HSDt2pWQ1s4EAthbRREf6d0F4V-pjzbXVT5E9HNdPfEyzAP6AkFPXwCZNK5lEEo1mKMEJbIAcHBv9afChyphenhyphenYNMiiyBMt5_q46xE9z3TDZBotzS05yycObHQVO_uLleawL_7RpEnb_Qnh/s200/Duffy%2520colour%2520beach%2520DIGITAL%2520copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOgZHIZUhVmW-88XtyIraNYiDpjG4Xwbeu8JiA7_zHS5ITFA6HnHPIMJCcdGbqjzU0bTp0noNaYJ753nrfmm-CmLIBgPUj1x4-2gUov66F-QIq3MpIcQnkpOqkTcmZnXl2Hik0EqS8bC6/s1600-h/dido_lifeforrent.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393273318142370" style="WIDTH: 155px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOgZHIZUhVmW-88XtyIraNYiDpjG4Xwbeu8JiA7_zHS5ITFA6HnHPIMJCcdGbqjzU0bTp0noNaYJ753nrfmm-CmLIBgPUj1x4-2gUov66F-QIq3MpIcQnkpOqkTcmZnXl2Hik0EqS8bC6/s200/dido_lifeforrent.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXReMLhuTfDhSdUi0jdhs8u_bUnV-yZGntzYlDoZnARoKZngL27InrapdQpOyJFORymBb_s5kAe2h5HAppMEXreEpofb23eTa2z5i_4VYXO1MX1msXlumzI_K2v8kiWqUtTD7s4Fhhk8a/s1600-h/1145974332_nina_simone.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393148328343314" style="WIDTH: 166px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXReMLhuTfDhSdUi0jdhs8u_bUnV-yZGntzYlDoZnARoKZngL27InrapdQpOyJFORymBb_s5kAe2h5HAppMEXreEpofb23eTa2z5i_4VYXO1MX1msXlumzI_K2v8kiWqUtTD7s4Fhhk8a/s200/1145974332_nina_simone.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNidScMZa5teldiTei5MfxKWbhb8AQJ1F6jYUJreAlsqUjDwI0WG9bL-n6vU4QQsrC7h7u1kx8Q9LmJdwxEEEU9iT2fKI9mHA2t2dX5AGSJkOEzbdT1WHFabWKVp8jTmm1Xv3Wj0Z5VME2/s1600-h/adele19.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288393023329291410" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNidScMZa5teldiTei5MfxKWbhb8AQJ1F6jYUJreAlsqUjDwI0WG9bL-n6vU4QQsrC7h7u1kx8Q9LmJdwxEEEU9iT2fKI9mHA2t2dX5AGSJkOEzbdT1WHFabWKVp8jTmm1Xv3Wj0Z5VME2/s200/adele19.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NLgTuM_DURO828gUsrAyJEDUrMCiVO8gPkmwxc-gMUT5F5qSy8W1SoUIsuZAEHfioemfOoCxSDZRMQbvGKsiPKvB3yyccU18XKO0HTh_ZPO3Q8Au8YC2kLw_R5hqmaWOMlQiojpB84ls/s1600-h/ani-difranco.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288392891934904818" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NLgTuM_DURO828gUsrAyJEDUrMCiVO8gPkmwxc-gMUT5F5qSy8W1SoUIsuZAEHfioemfOoCxSDZRMQbvGKsiPKvB3yyccU18XKO0HTh_ZPO3Q8Au8YC2kLw_R5hqmaWOMlQiojpB84ls/s200/ani-difranco.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIIukvZrVTkpuua7_7u3VXD6WkwDDNI0eD_32aVDydRH46lielmxexWF6m32i1HsTgL1PzggKLNEW2AEY9fidEDeOsJuqDS3bfgbtJ4TdDtNcr-tLaL43YYc6ZHCqvM0DmTGh1hXURjsV/s1600-h/sinead1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288392795847209922" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIIukvZrVTkpuua7_7u3VXD6WkwDDNI0eD_32aVDydRH46lielmxexWF6m32i1HsTgL1PzggKLNEW2AEY9fidEDeOsJuqDS3bfgbtJ4TdDtNcr-tLaL43YYc6ZHCqvM0DmTGh1hXURjsV/s200/sinead1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>I was looking through my music collection several months ago and I noticed a troubling trend. I had almost no female artists in my collection. I decided to do something about it and focus on trying to discover some good female artists in an attempt to rectify the disparity. Here some artists I found that I really dig now:<br /></div><div>Sinead O'Conner- Okay, she is a little weird but I love her voice </div><div>Ani DiFranco- That girl can play some mean guitar and is a true independent spirit</div><div>Adele- so young and with such talent<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBBH4IdfEihNEli4QX8Q2T8fTQWiF80TmmNhNErSpTtGJ4ps20hp8c44ZbNKXYnZXBV7s8TR9PWLLdE-A6ZXHisHcGBaMwupnXg22I2hAAm826YprnjaF5fhNprmbEJROpuVMLZw05Ueo/s1600-h/adele19.jpg"></a></div><div>Duffy- not the Amy winehouse clone some claim she is, i love the production on her album<br />PJ Harvey- dark, disturbing, and very cool</div><div>Rodrigo y Gabriela- I know one member is a guy but the true hero here is Gabriela<br />Ella Fitzgerald- old school but such a great voice<br />Nina Simone- She had me with her first note</div><div>Dido- so chill and a great songwriter</div><div>Shakira- her new English stuff is not that great, but her earlier Spanish stuf is awesome</div><div>The Pipettes- love the harmonies<br /><br /></div><div>Interesting that most of these are either singer-songwriter or jazz singers. I didn't find any metal or rock acts that were mostly female that I liked. Still looking....</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-68498701237528395432009-01-04T09:40:00.000-08:002009-01-04T09:50:10.406-08:00New Year, New Promises, New Me<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQf13GZWqwkZnl-KEIFpuLeCcWBKZIdSCBYKTKytsUFwb-_c3jJK48ida_fuMhNT9_5ndb9SvB09vYrADU077zvu0vr7tBTu6O5LMGg2f1L-dFDH99Bg-WC0hEFQvSuWt9RiYKmB1kMJm/s1600-h/IsraelTrip2008+092.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287497296775741314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuQf13GZWqwkZnl-KEIFpuLeCcWBKZIdSCBYKTKytsUFwb-_c3jJK48ida_fuMhNT9_5ndb9SvB09vYrADU077zvu0vr7tBTu6O5LMGg2f1L-dFDH99Bg-WC0hEFQvSuWt9RiYKmB1kMJm/s200/IsraelTrip2008+092.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I have made a couple of resolutions so far and the thing I find most interesting and even a little sad is that they are all repeats from last year. I always seem to have the same goals: play more guitar, start painting again, finish my novel, get back into running and yoga. It is also sad-interesting that these are all things I used to do, things I used to love doing and now are only memories. The question becomes: are these still things that I want in my life? or is the reason I no longer do them is because I have changed? If I have changed, then am I a better person? Or am I merely trying to recapture something I lost?<br /><br />Okay, that was several questions but it really does boil down to why I stopped doing these things that I used to love. Something to think about.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-57503846719327600992008-10-28T18:41:00.000-07:002008-10-28T18:44:59.906-07:00huh?It has been almost a month to the day since my last post. I passed the bar which was a huge relief and I got a job which is also cool. I am really tired and this is all I will write but I am trying to figure out how to post pictures and videos.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-15453352435113206412008-09-29T18:38:00.000-07:002008-09-29T19:20:31.778-07:00Why blog?I wonder why I have such a hard time in writing these posts? It has been almost a month since I last sat down and tried to type something. I suppose it is that I am still worried about someone actually reading these little screeds and thinking, "Man, what an idiot!" This, I think is the topic of most of the blogs I have ever read. They usually focus on the most recent thing that has irritated the blogger or has made him laugh. These seem to be the two emotions which run the blog culture right now. Well, those and posting pictures of your kids being unbearably cute. <br /><br />That may be why I have not written anything lately because I am too tired or lazy to get angry about pretty much anything and I don't have any kids, just three cats. Though we did have an adventure this weekend with dogsitting. A failed attempt to see if we were ready for the responsibilities of being doggy parents. Because if Animal Planet has taught me anything, it is that taking care of a dog is a lot of work, work which my wife and I were willing to undertake but circumstances (small apartment, two full time jobs and most importantly three cats) do not permit that leap just yet. <br /><br />I wonder if it is like having kids. No one is really ready for kids, they just adapt and figure it out as they go along. I find that as I get older I have become far more forgiving of my father's failings during my childhood. Maybe because time has softened the pain of those less than stellar moments or it is the realization that he was trying as hard to figure it out as I was. <br /><br />But back to my point which I believe was that I have not been irritated by anything enough to write a post. I did try to write a post a few weeks ago about an especially egregious case my boss told me about where, as a state's attorney, he was not permitted to prosecute a prostitute who overdosed on cocaine because she was trying to kill the baby growing inside her belly. But I kept tripping over myself, trying to make great pronouncements of my indignation . When I really just came off sounding judgmental and arrogant. I mean it is easy to judge this woman because what she was doing seems so fundamentally wrong and the laws that prevented her prosecution seemed even more so, but rather than sounding "right" I sounded like just like every other blogger writing a "what pissed me off today"-style screed which is the last thing I want to do because the internet has plenty of those already.<br /><br />Perhaps it would have gone better if I had asked the more important question which was how does someone get to the point to where the poisoning of your own child while within you seems the best option. But that question does not allow me to write long sarastic self important posts that tell the universe why I am better than this woman because I would never let this happen. The sad thing is that you and I already did and no amount of blogging will change that. So it brings me to the great question which seems to be the real theme of this post, why blog?<br /><br />I suppose we can each ask this question of everything we do. Why create art? Why read books? Why make love? Why do anything when in the end it seems not to have any effect on anything? This, of course, is a very cynical and negative attitude, one which leads nowhere and sucks the enjoyment out of pretty much anything you can attempt to do with your life. So why do anything at all?<br /><br />One word. Hope. I have come to believe that the most important thing in this world is hope. Why blog? why paint? why serve your fellow woman and man? Hope. Hope that this activity will not only affect the world around you but that it will have some impact on your own soul. I believe that hope will eventually lead you to God. Unfortunately atheism, hedonism,cynicism, and most other-isms lead only to hopelessness. This is because these -isms separate you from the rest of the world while hope brings the world to you.<br /><br />So I guess that is where is post is going. I write when I have hope. I think I should look for it more often and maybe I would write more. I'll have to ponder that until next time.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-35295867314710188542008-09-08T19:18:00.000-07:002008-09-08T19:47:50.818-07:00You've got mail....Sitting in my email box at this very moment is an email that can change my life. It is not a get rci qucik scheme or a message for a contest I never entered but won nevertheless. No, this email is far more ominous. The subject line reads "your mpre score is ready."<br /><br />For those who do not know, there are two exams a potential lawyer has to take in order to be accepted as a member of the bar. The first is the "bar exam", the traditional two or three day test which consisted of essay questions and the most difficult muliple choice exam you can imagine. This is the test that most people talk about when they say they survived the bar.<br /><br />In most states, there is a second test which you have to take which is called the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam or MPRE. It is another multiple choice exam but focuses exclusively on the ethical dilemmas of the profession. Now why a test on ethics is a multiple choice exam instead of an essay is debateable but the important thing is that in Illinois, you have to score an 80 in order to be allowed to practice.<br /><br />I took it a year ago and I got a 72. I am terrified of this email because if I do not score an 80, it does not matter how well I did the "real" bar. I will have to take it again and that means I have to wait until May to get sworn in. it also may mean I will lose my current job. My stomach is a mess and my nerves are a mess.<br /><br />You would think that I would be confident as I took a special course and took a ton of practice tests yet there is still a little voice that whispers, "it is not enough"........Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-29072329610203536862008-09-07T19:36:00.000-07:002008-09-07T20:04:10.229-07:00VMA 2008i am currently watching the VMAs on MTV.....*sigh* Here are a couple of thoughts:<br /><br />Why does the host keep making fun of the Jonas Brothers because they choose to abstain from sex until marriage? It is not "that" funny, I am actually impressed and wish them the best.<br /><br />Kudos to Jordin Sparks for giving a shout-out to promise rings!<br /><br />Is it weird that Lil Wayne is more of a rock star than any of the rock acts on the show? Oh wait....there are none performing. But nevertheless, he was everything rock has been missing for years.<br /><br />So having a baby did not tame Christina Aguilera...An artist with her talent should be above this.<br /><br />Why does music suck in 2008? Because we allow it to do so. MTV didn't kill, though it may have hastened its demise. The people who vote with our dollars and time.<br /><br />So Tokio Hotel won the best new artist? At least they play instruments.<br /><br />I actually liked the Jonas Brothers' performance. It is a silly love song but it seemed more sincere and fun than anything else I saw tonight besides Lil Wayne<br /><br />DJ Adam and Travis won my heart by starting the show with some pretty cool remixes of Oasis. OASIS on the VMAs in 2008?!?!?! That almost saves the broadcast fo rme.<br /><br /><br />I am not ashamed to admit that I am glad that Brintey Spears seems to be getting her life together. I have made no secret of my aversion to her music but I do not find any pleasure in her downspiral over the last few years even if some of the damage is due to bad choices by her. The triumph of anyone over their past is something to celebrate.<br /><br />I am still amazed of the audacity of Kid Rock. He takes the riffs fo great rock songs and mixes them like a DJ but he is using a live band instead of samples. i am not sure if I should hate his music or like it......and why do I find Lil Wayne so intriguing?Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-5882112490535259912008-09-03T18:37:00.000-07:002008-09-03T18:46:26.195-07:00Cover MeNot long ago, I read a blog which talked about the best and the worst cover songs. It intrigued me, largely because the person who wrote it had such awful taste in music. Of all the music to spolight, he picked uninteresting and boring songs. It actually irritated me as is often the case when it comes to music, art or film. My wife is always telling me to stop being so critical. I think it was art school that ruined me. I can’t just listen to a song or simply watch a movie anymore. I have to analyze it and voice my opinion. My brothers and I are unbearable when we get together to watch a movie or listen to music. Maybe this is the same with the person who wrote that blog. <br /> I had a professor once who said that when we find someone who has different taste than us we automatically view them with suspicion. For example, if I walk into a house and it is full of plastic grapes and Tommy Kincade paintings, I immediately have doubts about not only that person’s taste but also their sanity. if someone tells me that they think Britney Spears is brillant or that their favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle, I will not trust their opinion on anything.<br /> But back to cover songs, I have heard plenty of them in my life. My old band in college used to play some pretty cool ones. My personal favorites were “Without or Without you” by U2 and “Grace” by Jeff Buckley. It is sad that most people who listened to us didn’t feel the same as I did about the songs. <br /> I think some of the finest covers done recently were the American Recordings series by Johnny Cash. He had a way of really getting inside a song and showing new colors that I heard within a song. He was a great interpreter.<br /><br />Top cover songs:<br />Hallelujah <em>Jeff Buckley</em><br />Hard to Handle <em>Black Crowes</em><br />Hurt <em>Johnny Cash</em><br />All Along the Watchtower <em>Jimi Hendrix</em><br />What Becomes of the Broken Hearted <em>Joan Osbourne</em><br />This Charming Man <em>Death Cab for Cutie</em><br />Nothing Compares to U <em>Sinead O'Connor</em><br />Rusty Cage <em>Johnny Cash</em><br />Untold Stories <em>Sinead O'Conner</em>Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-9152257028239874212008-08-27T17:58:00.000-07:002008-08-27T18:03:20.231-07:00I haven't been everywhere....yetI wrote this last weekend as I was driving with my super awesome wife to a small town on the border with Indiana. I think the fact that I was travelinghelped inspire it.<br /> <br /> I think that the world has become smaller since I was a kid. I remember long, long, long road trips before mp3 players and portable DVD players. I was born in Santa Ana, California and we moved around quite a bit until my dad got a job in Texas. I remember that the flight to Midland, Texas from California was my first trip ever on an airplane. The stewardess asked me if I wanted anything and I asked for a hotdog. She said she would see what she could do. ( I am still waiting for that hotdog, Southwest Airlines!!!!!) I was 6 years old. <br /> I grew up in that small town in Texas where oil and football was king. I was not very good at either and it turned out neither was Midland for very long. The oil boom that initially brought us there went bust not long after we got there but that strange mystical inertia which governs many small towns had worked its magic on my parents and we stayed.<br /> I did not go very many places outside the American West for most of my growing up years. (A few trips to California to visit family, to New Mexico to go camping and Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon, that sort of thing.) When I turned 20, I left home to serve a mission for my church and lived first in Provo, Utah and then in Southern California for 2 years. I returned home to Texas for a couple of months before I got accepted to BYU in Utah. I lived there in Provo for 6 years in the same apartment complex about two blocks from campus. There is a strange routine in Provo that happens every semester. Everyone moves to a new apartment every four months, usually seeking the love of their life. So the fact that I stayed in one place for 6 whole years was something of a local oddity.<br /> After college, I went and lived in the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific for three months as an artist. It was my first time outside of the country. ( I am sure that many more blogs will explore those experiences.) On the way home from Tonga, I stopped for about a week in Auckland, New Zealand, which is probably the coolest place I have ever been.<br /> After Tonga, I was back in Texas for two years working at a junior college until I got accepted to law school. While there, a friend approached me and asked if I would accompany him and his daughter to Paris, France and London, England. That was awesome, especially seeing Les Miserables in the West End in London and the Rodin Museum in Paris.<br /> I got accepted to law school in New Orleans which is an amazing place. It is one of the few places left in America which has any sort of personality. (Also on the list is Chicago, Memphis, Boston, and Washington DC.) It has not yet been stripped of interest by the antiseptic of strip malls and franchises…at least until Katrina.<br /> I was living in New Orleans, in Uptown, for about one month when Hurricane Katrina struck. I was luckily out of town that weekend at a church conference. Unfortunately I could not get home to retrieve any of my stuff. I had one law book, my scriptures and two changes of clothes. A friend helped me get accepted as an emergency transfer to Arizona State University but while I was on my way to the school, they called and said they had changed their minds. (ASU, I shake my fist at thee!!!!!) Anyway I ended up at Chapman University in Orange County. Funny how I always seem to end up back in California. I spent the rest of the semester and then I had go back to New Orleans. Meanwhile I had met my future wife, who was in Chicago, through an online dating site. So I spent so time out there as well as Memphis where her dad lived. Since our marriage, I have visited Washington DC, Boston, New York City, and Israel.<br /> One thing that seems to stick out in my mind of all the places I have lived is that on a basic level all people are pretty much the same. <br /><br />States I have visited:<br />Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Arkansas, Michigan<br /><br />Countries I have visited:<br />Israel, France, England, Mexico, Kingdom of Tonga, New ZealandLuciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-21328893234926840662008-08-26T18:56:00.000-07:002008-08-26T18:57:17.052-07:00Television and Nothing to DoIt is interesting to think that I am done with school. Finished. Done. Nothing left. It really hit me last night when I got home from my job clerking for a small firm in Chicago. My wife was at school and so there was no one to talk to and because I graduated from school and I am done with the bar exam, I literally had nothing to do. Plus we are letting my brother in law borrow my car so I had no transportation. So I did what most American males do with such a scenario. I turned on the tv.<br /><br />I don’t watch a lot of tv. I probably don’t watch any shows with any degree of regularity. Usually if the tv is on, I am watching Animal Planet or Food Network. But last night I started watching an old Clint Eastwood western. I think it was by director Sergio Leone and while the cinematography was interesting as was the story, the fact that the dialogue was dubbed drove me crazy. So I changed it and watched an episode of The Closer which was pretty good. I actually cried at the end. After that I got bored with the tv and pulled out my guitar and started playing through some songs.<br /><br />Looking back I realize that it was a wasted evening. I have been saying for months, “when I get some time I am going to start painting again…..when I finish school I am going to sit down and start my novel.” Yet when I finally had time, I wasted it watching tv. It is kind of depressing actually. Art used to be my whole life. It is all I thought about, all I cared about. But I think it has been three years or more since I did anything with it. <br /><br />So tonight I am not at home. I went with my wife to her school and am in their computer lab typing this blog and feeling pretty good about doing something other than watching tv. Although it would be kind of interesting to have something to be studying for.<br /><br />P.S. After my wife got home, we watched this show on MTV where they take the bratty spoiled kids who were spotlighted in the show “My Super Sweet Sixteen” and force them to go and live in a Third World country for two weeks. I think the person who came up with this show should be given a medal.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-31610123807254612982008-08-14T19:07:00.000-07:002008-08-14T20:02:32.002-07:00The making of a radical: Hope in troubled timesWhen I was in 7th grade, I had a teacher whose name I probably have chosen to forget. I recall one day in her class where we were discussing something about a presdential election. I believe it was the year that President Bush I was elected. My teacher called on me and I made some sort of glib comment which I was prone to do often. For the life of me I cannot remember what I said but it really upset her. She was so mad that she said to me something that I will never forget. "I hope you never are elected to any political office with an attitude like that."<br /><br />It is funny because I haven't remembered that exeprience in years. I have never much cared about politics. Not for any reason other than that it really bored me and I never really saw a point in it all. Perhaps that was my glib comment to my teacher that so infuriated her against my possible political career. Anyway I have only voted in one election in my whole life though I believe four elections have occurred since I turned 18. I am very ashamed to admit that.<br /><br />I bring this up because I have had something of a change of heart recently. First, I got married and we have been talking about having kids. That certainly changes your attitude about the state of the world and the women and men who lead it. Then, I was selected to represent my law school in a trial advocacy competition at Harvard law school. The competition dealt with animal rights and my specific argument about the valuation of a pet in a tort case. You may ask yourself what this has to do with politics. Through my involvement in this competition I met many great people who work to make a difference in the world. Whether or not you agree with the animal rights movement, I think it is hard to ignore the fact that these individuals are active in trying to change things even though most people think they are crazy or dangerous.<br /><br />The final and most important change that came upon me was that I went to Israel and Palestine as part of a class on international human rights. I was there for 14 days and got to visit with groups of people from every level of society in Israel: The jews, the palestinians, the bedouin tribesmen, and sudanese refugees. I saw the effect that politics had in people's lives and how many of them never had a voice in the laws the afflicted them. I heard arguments from all sides. I realized that religion is not as devisive as economics. I also learned the amazing ability of humans to forget. (Imagine visiting the Holocaust museum one day and the next visiting a Sudanese refugee camp and learning that the Israeli government is trying their hardest to eject these refugees who were fleeing religious persecution and ethnic cleansing)<br /><br />I left the country absolutely disheartened and depressed. I thought to myself that there is no hope, there are no answers here. I have none and nobody else does either. Perhaps thes cynic feelings and negative attitude were what so offended my teacher so many years before.<br /><br />One day about a week after I returned home, I had what I would call an ephiphany. I realized that the worst thing that I could do was to sink into cynicism and negativity. To do so would feed into the world's problems. Answers and solutions only come through hope. Negativity and cynicism leads nowhere and in most cases make things worse. Hope leads to answers. That is why people can continue to have children in a crazy world like ours. That is why animal activists continue to protest foi grae and circuses. That is why I believe the struggle in Israel will find a resolution. Because hope leads to answers. Perhaps my seventh grade teacher would even vote for that platform.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883946115183870537.post-38325604682560348682008-08-11T17:07:00.000-07:002008-08-11T17:30:02.695-07:00a simple beginningI have resisted for quite awhile joining the seemingly infinite number of people who blog. I usually dismissed any thoughts of creating one with the excuse that I have nothing really to say that would interest anyone besides me. Of course, this excuse reveals my secret conceit that people would actually even read what I write.<br /><br /> But my mind was changed when I read an article that talked about ten thousand hours. The premise of the article (which I will link to this post when I (1) learn how to link and (2) find the article) is that in order to become an expert at something, you have to spend a minimum of 10,000 hours doing that activity. The researchers claimed that anyone could become an expert at anything by spending 10,000 hours doing that activity. I thought, as I read the article, what in my life do I care enough about to spend 10,000 hours doing. (I did the math and it equals to roughly a 40 hour week for about 5 years.) I thought of art and guitar, of course, two activities which I love but sadly have not practiced for some time. Then I had the thought that one thing I have always dreamed of becoming was a writer. I thought if I could spend 10,000 hours doing anything, it would be practicing writing. (You may now make any jokes about my current efforts which come to mind.)<br /><br /> Therefore, the impetus of this blog is not to share my family with the world or to expound upon politics or religion. (Though I reserve the right to do any of those three things in this blog) this blog will consist of my attempt over the next many many many months and years to spend 10,000 hours writing. So at times a post will consist of a writing exercise or something I have thought throughout the day which I thought was interesting but mainly to simply write every day.Luciushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914702834469368214noreply@blogger.com0