Because I'm Not "Connected" Enough, I Guess

With the big trip coming up, I thought I'd try to document things using the slick and simple Tumblr interface.

This blog isn't going anywhere (yet--I will probably end it and start anew when I've moved to DC) but for move-related info, pics, and so forth, you'll want to visit:

SF to DC

I'm new to Tumblr but I think it's pretty great for random stuff, or very specific blogs. I hope mine is a mix of the two.

For those keeping score, I am now active on Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google Reader, Gmail, and Gchat. I might have to scale back at some point...

Where To Begin?

So many topics to potentially discuss. Let's get the obvious one out of the way, shall we:

1. I'm moving to D.C.! The time has come, the grand curtain has fallen on this crazy California experiment of mine. It has been a great 7 years on the west coast, no doubt, but for a wide variety of reasons, it's time to wrap it up.

The nuts and bolts, FAQ, quick factoid summary is this: I don't have a job in DC yet, but have several strong leads and will be blasting my super impressive resume to everybody who's ever even HEARD of a lawyer in that town.

I am leaving California the last week of October, and hope to return in 4-5 days. It's a bit of a drive which I am currently doing by myself, but am entertaining the possibility of having some peeps join me during portions of the trip. It is kind of long and boring to ask any one of you to do the whole thing, but if anyone wants to fly to SF to start it off, and then fly back from Denver or somewhere else in the middle, email me. We'll talk.

I will miss California. Quite a bit. But it's just a state with fairly nice weather, and the people I care about (non-professionally) are elsewhere.

California To-Do
Quit my job
Quit my apartment
Sell my furniture
Go to Muir Woods and/or the Headlands once more
Finish potential tattoo design
Lunches with my Bay Area peeps
Salvation Army a ton of clothes
Plot a route, with stopping points
Forward my mail

What did I forget?

2. The Tigers make me so, so very sad. Everyone keeps saying they fought a good fight last night, and while it's true -- it was, objectively and subjectively, a great game -- it ignores the fact that the game never should have been played. The Tigers had a small but solid lock on the division title, and all they had to do was play barely passable .500 ball for the last few weeks. Instead, they got swept by the lowly Royals, and a week after that lost their series matchups against the Royals again, Minnesota, and Chicago--three teams that they are supposed to beat routinely.

Leyland says "we have nobody to blame but ourselves." No shit sherlock, you guys suck. Nobody in the history of baseball has imploded this badly at the end of the season. I mean, you can argue that it's fine because they clearly would have been outclassed during the playoffs, but geez. Unless the Twins go to the Series this year, you can't even argue that this entire season hasn't been a complete waste.

3. I had a rant about Letterman but the Tigers pissed me off again, so I forgot. I think it was basically: we don't know any of the details of his relationship, except that the chick was younger and worked for him. While this is bad for HR purposes, the moral reprehensibility is undetermined. We don't know anything about the nature of this relationship, and to assume that he was praying on a poor defenseless (female) staffer is rather sexist. They are both adults, as far as we know, and it is rampant speculation to assume that she was a) trying to sleep her way to success, or b) the victim of unwanted sexual advances by a powerful superior.

We have nothing to suggest either is true. It's really just a private matter between the parties involved and their spouses. I can appreciate that it "draws attention" to workplace inequity, but only because these are coworkers that had a relationship. Not because of the inequity, which is only suggested.

I guess I remembered more than I thought. It bugs me when people assume that women are being preyed upon simply because they have sex with someone that isn't their professional equal. When men do that, nobody bats an eye. It's unfair and inherently sexist.

At Least There No Humidity

Good lord, work is a beast lately. I hope you all didn't get too used to the constant blog updates.

When did August become the busiest month of the year, anyhow? We need to be more like Europe. Or the French. Whoever it is that takes half the summer off, I want to go to there.

Look, I'm a 50s-Era Ad Guy

Courtesy of AMC, here I am engaging in some ribald talk with Zoe Bartlett, highball in hand. Whenever I put together this kind of picture (like when you Simpsonize yourself, etc.) I am always sort of sad at how basically white I am. Brown hair, brown eyes, no real flair. Plus, I put myself in a suit, as is the custom of my profession, so I look even less interesting. But then I gave myself some tired looking eyes, which I think is accurate these days.

I actually just started watching Mad Men (the source of this pic) and while it was a little slow for a couple of episodes--perhaps because I was boned tired Saturday night--the beauty of Blu-Ray gave me 5 to watch on one disc, and I am now pretty hooked.

Why was I bone tired? Because I built this on Saturday:


That big wall on the right of the picture was already framed, but we sheetrock'd it and then raised it up, like the Amish and their barn shenanigans, but probably not as bearded.

Then we unloaded lumber and framed two more walls, including the one on the left, which we raised and centered and all that jazz. It was probably the most accomplished I've felt at a Habitat outing, simply because it was the structure instead of finishing (flooring or siding) that I'd done previously.

But boy howdy I was tired. And then on Sunday, exquisitely sore. In that really good way.

Mixed Results

Awhile back, I posted that I was changing things up a bit. Healthier living, etc. I just thought that, in the interest of keeping myself honest, I should provide an update. And also, because Sue asked in the comments last time and I forgot to respond.

I haven't had fast food as a "regular" meal since that day. I have had it in airports and once when everything else was closed at like 10:30pm, but I was enabled to do so by the healthiest and most in-shape person I know so I don't count that either. I'd give myself an A- or B+ on that aspect. My avoidance of soda has also continued pretty much unabated (with the same occasional travel-related exceptions).

The second part of the equation, exercise, has met with less resounding success. I continue to have ankle pain after runs of any distance (2.5 miles or more) and the pain sometimes lasts for 3-5 days. Some good post-run stretching advice put the kibosh on most of it, but every now and then it pops back up and ruins my week for running. It is frustrating, and I am concerned that it is because I still weigh too much. C+ for running.

On that topic, I was approximately 233 pounds back in the winter. I am now between 215 and 220 depending on the day. It is a good start, but if I can't get past this running thing, I fear I will plateau where I am. Suggestions are welcome. B- for weight lost.

Moment of Clarity?

Last night, as I was debating whether to get fast food for dinner, I had a minor revelation. It wasn't about fast food, but about health in general. I did the math and realized that if I had a child tomorrow, he or she would turn 18 when I was 49 years old.

To me, at 31, an 18-year-old isn't very old. I remember being 18 and not knowing squat about zilch. And if I have kids, I'd really like to be around to help them out with that kind of thing.

I haven't given much thought about having kids, except to assume that at some point I will. But I have never considered whether I will be around to see them become adults. Given my family history of leaky heart valves and other such things, I am already at a slight disadvantage. The fact that I outweigh my father by 10 pounds is another bad sign.

So this "revelation" became a personal charge to myself. Healthy is better. I am still plenty young enough to change my habits, and in fact have already been doing that. No more fast food (not even "only once in awhile"). More running--daily when possible. Less couch potato-ish activity.

Part of this is because I finally realized how I can accomplish this. It's less about saying "never eat unhealthy again, ever" and more about saying: tonight, do I need a hamburger from Wendy's? And the answer is always no. Baby steps to the elevator, yo.

I don't have kids yet. Hell, I don't even have somebody who wants to birth any of my children.* But I'll be damned if I'm going to let my laziness in 2008/2009 screw me over in 2027.

*This is just shorthand. I am entirely in favor of adoption. Please don't yell at me about skyrocketing population or something.

Brief Update Regarding Two Items

First -- and I hope that this is the last I will say on this -- I'm going to talk about newspapers failing again. Mostly because Weingarten discussed it in his chat today.

I think it is fascinating to watch reporters, even humorists, try and argue that the news should cost money. They know it's their livelihood at stake, so I don't begrudge them one bit, but think about how often we associate reporters with "the truth" and "getting to the story". They don't regard capitalism as a reason to keep information hidden, unless it's THEIR capitalism, in which case suddenly the question becomes, "How can we charge people per story?"

But let's all just breathe a moment. Weingarten posed the question (paraphrased): why do people think the news should be free? I'd have thought the answer was obvious. We have never paid for the content; we pay for the medium.

We pay for a television set; a radio; a computer; and a stack of dead trees. These items allow us access to the news, but we don't pay for the content. We pay for the access. The newspaper is just a very old version of a cable-modem, or a television set. The sooner newspapers realize this, the quicker the solution will make itself known.

What's the one news source you can think of that has no advertising, but survives? National Public Radio (and local equivalents) and the Public Broadcasting Service. PBS mixes entertainment in, but is still akin to NPR. Newspapers are going to have to go non-profit if they want to survive. And the old guard is just going to have to accept it, if they want to live.

Item Two! I'm headed back east for a few days to watch one of my sisters do something academic. I'm pretty sure the middle one. Don't miss me too much while I'm gone!

And Then I Thought Better Of It.

I was mentally crafting a post in my head about feminism and the pain that seems to exist when a feminist tries to get married. There have been a couple of great articles on the subject online, and it got me thinking.

Then I remember that I know no fewer than 5 women who are getting married in the next 12 months, all of whom probably have strong opinions on various aspects of weddings and who may read my blog. And if I post something with my personal opinion (about things like wearing white, or churches, or married names) it might be taken as a slight against someone who doesn't hold my same opinion.

So ya'll get nothing!

Well, not nothing. I could rant about the Tigers and their inability to beat the lowly Angels (1-2 in the last series), or how they were screwed by having seriously piss-poor scheduling (3 games in a row at 10pm EST, and then they have to go to Kansas the very next day? I call bullshit, Angels. No reason to schedule those games so late.)

Or I could talk about the latest movies I've seen (Pineapple Express - bit of a letdown but funny; Choke - unimpressive but hey, boobs; Aqua Teen Hunger Force - as weird as you'd expect).

Or I could just mention that I have to work on Sunday, in a pathetic attempt to drum up sympathy.

I choose secret option D: Friday afternoon laziness!

The Easter of the Non-Religious Single Man Who Lives 2,750 Miles from His Relatives

I woke up around 8 a.m. I can't shake my inability to sleep in, and now wake up consistently between 7:30 and 8:30 in the morning. It is a shame.

Half-heartedly checked what was on TV, before remembering it was a) Sunday and b) Easter. Lots of church stuff; eventually left it on Meet the Press or Face the Nation or one of those shows.

Ate cheerios and played some Warcraft. I am bored with it, and do not have the interest to do anything beyond a few dailies and some old-world content for the Achievements.

Surfed the web, but with purpose. Purpose that won't get a lot of play on here because I'm not sure who reads this blog. I found some good stuff though and will be working on that this week. Vague enough for ya?

Exercised some. Also ate half a chocolate bunny, thus negating said exercise. It was only situps/pushups and free weights, though. Watched a good portion of "Just Friends" on Comedy Central at the same time. Meh.

Went to the grocery store, which normally I would never do on a Sunday because I hate the crowd, but I figured on Easter Sunday I might be safe. I was right; it wasn't desolate but it was quick and easy. Enjoyed the nice weather.

Talked to dad on the phone. Wished him belated happy birthday, but I'm not a terrible son because I also called the day before, and the day before that, to express the same sentiment. He was dodging my calls cuz he's a playa, son!

Watched two more episodes of The Tudors. I think Rhys-Meyers overacts. Everyone else is pretty good though. And to be fair, Rhys-Meyers wasn't bad in these two episodes either.

Talked to breezy east coast friend online, till the east coast headed for bed. They do that, often as a group. Sometimes I wonder if everyone on that coast is in cahoots to keep me bored at night.

Perused iTunes Store for about an hour, looking for gems. Downloaded a few songs but nothing to write home about. Still owe someone a CD, but it still isn't ready. I suck. She probably doesn't remember I owe her a CD, though.

Watched an hour of television before accepting that nothing remotely interesting was on. Did see ex's baby daddy beat some jerk up on MTV. I'll go ahead and let that stand as written.

Went to bed and read more of The Worst Hard Time. Really makes one realize that things could be so, so much worse. And how stupid people are when left to their own greedy devices.

Easter!

A Whirlwind Awaits

Being a lazy gadabout (look it up!) often means that I depend on those who visit the Bay Area to rouse me from my sloth-like lifestyle so that I can take in the wonders of Northern California. Although I have lived here nearly 3 years, there are still a few places I haven't been. Sadly, Alcatraz remains one of those places. Damn tourists bought all the tickets, even on a Monday.

But I still knocked a few more items off the list! My weekend in photos:


The view from the Marin Headlands. I had never been out to the point before, and since it wasn't buried under a mountain of fog, off we went! I can't believe I didn't go sooner.

But that's not all! Did somebody say... trees?


Yes, it's Muir Woods. A fairly gray day, but the trees are always great, so in we went. I had been here before (thrice!) but it's still impressive every time. You will of course notice that I took no actual pictures of the redwoods. Just random forest shots. That was totally 100% guaranteed on purpose, for reals.

There was the requisite stop at the big bridge herself:


And Saturday gave us a lovely sunset.

Of course, as always, you get no pictures of me. This is because I don't like you.

Nah, I'm just joshin' ya. It's because I don't want to.

Hulk vs. Hulk, and Other Random Points

I watched the new "Incredible Hulk" movie (with Ed Norton) last night. I actually meant to watch in Sunday but stupidly bought the previous Ang Lee/Eric Bana creation. I don't hate the old one, like many did; I thought it was far more nuanced than most superhero movies, and appreciated the subtext that Lee brought.

This new Hulk was definitely more straightforward, but not stupid. At least, not Fantastic Four-level stupid. I think they were truer to the Hulk's "powers" in the Ang Lee version, though. He gets stronger as he gets madder. He has, to some extent, unlimited power as long as people keep pissing him off. That's why he beats Superman, because at the end of the day he is stronger that ol' Supes.

The new Hulk, Nortonified, is not quite as big or strong. He is a better Hulk in other ways (he doesn't have to fight "Hulk dogs", for one thing) but I wish they had alluded to the deep ocean of rage that fuels his strength. Still, solid B effort. B+ for including Iron Man at the end there.

........

I lost, sort of, in court yesterday. It was disappointing but valuable because it is the first time I lost when, really, I shouldn't have. The judge was just not open to hearing my argument, and not open to an objective review of the dispute. It is not a remotely important issue, but it stings. I don't like losing when the facts and the law are on my side, but it happens, and I'm glad it happened on this instead of on, say, something dispositive.

I am also a bit under the weather with a very mild cold. I don't really get sick, hence it is mild, but it is a pain in the ass. It did not stop me from completely rearranging my apartment on Sunday, though it did wear me out a lot faster than moving a couch 10 feet should wear me out.

Cabo San Lucas

It is a good place, this Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

It was: beaches, pools, lounge chairs, midnight swims, mosquito bites, mild sunburns, a sunset cruise, girls from Portland, a girl from Utah, a drunken family, doing shots upside down, simulated humping, tequila sunrises, margaritas, pina coladas, tequila shots, Coronas, Pacificos, Modelos, and one big pineapple drink thing.

Pictures, if there are any that I am comfortable putting up on the blog, will be put up this weekend. Or whenever my sister stops getting in bar fights long enough to send me what she took with her camera.

I Know I'm a Broken Record

Unfortunately for you all, my daily life does not allow me much room to vent about politics. My job is not remotely political, I live in a city full of people who think along the same lines, and my friends don't need any convincing.

So when I read--and maybe I should stop doing that--about all the fantastically stupid "white women" who are giving McCain a big jump, I have nowhere to release my anger. Anger at how as a group, almost any demographic can be insipidly short-sighted. I just expected better from women.

But I suppose that's equality. Men don't have a monopoly on being morons. We're all on the stupidity ship together, sometimes.

This election is shaping up to be one of the first times in memory that I'm in danger of being really disappointed in my country. Kerry in '04 was sad, but he lacked a number of important qualities that could have pushed the election in his favor. Obama just has everything going for him--he wins on the issues, on the politics, and on personality--except that we are, collectively, morons. Call me an elitist, but I'm really starting to question the very sanity and morality of those who side with the GOP on this stuff.

So I'm sorry that I keep using this space for going-nowhere political rants. I should talk more about my visit back home this past week (it was great!) or non-political issues I like to ramble on about. Class warfare, chicks, why the Tigers are so very disappointing, etc. The stuff that sells newspapers.

Not So Bad

So yeah, I'm at work on a Saturday, but there's some good tunes rockin' from the street fair down below. And I get to act like a total VIP by parking in my building garage.

I won't be working for more than a few hours--there's only so much you can do when folks be rappin' up a storm or jamming on blues guitar 500 feet away.

More Like Labor Day CRAPend

I just got completely and utterly screwed, at work. Three day weekend? Gone. Trip back east? Not gone but may be full of non-fun working.

It's nothing in the realm of becoming unemployed, it's just a big gigantic, case-destroying event which is 10 days away and will take 10+ days to prepare for. So you can see where there's a bit of a problem.

It's times like this that I'm glad I don't have a girlfriend to radically disappoint. It will be nice to save energy bills by not being home at all for a few days, though!

That Was Me! Sort of.

Today's Post has a not-at-all shocking story on just how illegal the hiring practices at DOJ were during the Bush administration. We all knew this--even if some ardent Bush supporters insisted that no wrongdoing occurred--but now there's an "official report" providing details as to how widespread and unethical their conduct had been.

Because everything, eventually, can be turned around to be about me, I point you towards this bit near the end:

Last month, Fine disclosed that hundreds of candidates for summer law intern and elite entry-level honors program jobs had been excluded from hiring pools because of their Democratic affiliations or membership in environmental and social justice groups.

Guess what! I totally applied for a summer internship at DOJ (Dept. of Computer Crimes or possibly Intellectual Property Enforcement, I forget the actual name) and now, despite my lackluster grades, I can claim discrimination.

One of my few "accomplishments" up until law school was being President of the Virginia Tech Young Democrats for a brief period (1999-2000). It entailed far less work than the title implies, but hey--President! That goes right on the ol' resume.

When I apply for jobs, I occasionally take it off. It depends on the job, but most of the time it stays. It's an example of leadership and all that hokum. Of course I left that on my resume when applying to Justice, because it was for a freakin' internship. Like anybody cares about political leanings at that level.

To be frank, I'm betting it was less the mention of the YD association, and more my mediocre academic profile. But this may be my only chance as a white male to experience some form of discrimination, so I'm going to let it bug me a little bit.

If My Life Were Covered by Us Magazine Blind Items

ITEM! It was a veritable who's who of Bay Area royalty Saturday night at the marriage of two of the city's most accomplished individuals. The night went off without a hitch, and even though reporters were summarily banned from the reception, an insider tells us it was all smiles, cake and an open bar--at least until the event wound down and one particular guest couldn't quite keep his bar tab from "resurfacing", if you get our drift. He was, however, kindly driven back to his hotel by one of the few remaining Bay Area bachelors we still swoon over. Sources say a donation towards a wax and detail job was made to cover any damage to the good samaritan's custom-built luxury car.

ITEM! The same above heartthrob-on-the-Bay attempted to go incognito Tuesday night to an evening showing of The Dark Knight--but had to settle for Hellboy 2 when all the showtimes were taken! Even this lawyerly lothario's star presence couldn't swing a ticket to the sold out Bale-based bat flic. Sources tell us he seemed to enjoy the replacement film, however; maybe thinking back to his tryst with the film's lovely leading lady during her promotional tour in the south of France?

Too Much Connectivity?

Plenty has already been said about the ease of keeping in touch these days. We all carry our phones around with us, and have email, texting, and Facebook. Some have webcams, some use internet forums and message boards as well.

But you also get to look back in time, which is a bit alarming. Back to people you knew 10 or 15 years ago, but that have gone another direction in life. This chick in the UK decided to look all hers up with almost uniformly unimpressive results. Granted, she was apparently a raging alcoholic for most of her life, but it again raises the question: is such easy access to our past good, bad, or ultimately trivial?

It's not just exes that make this question relevant, though that's where the line becomes blurred. Looking up old friends, after all, would seem to be relatively harmless. Maybe you stopped being friends for a reason; maybe it was just distance or time or circumstance.

Looking up exes, on the other hand... that's where the question becomes interesting. Is it healthy? Is it a Really Big Deal, or is it about as nostalgically momentous as catching a rerun of Diff'rent Strokes?

For the longest time, one of them remained a mystery. Armed with an un-Googleable name (akin to "Jane Doe") and an 8-year head start, I had resigned myself to being perpetually curious. Then came Facebook, and "People you may know", and that mystery is completely resolved. It's a rather anticlimactic end, and while I can honestly say I was glad to hear from her and to see she is doing well, it makes me wonder if some things are better left unknown. Is there a benefit to not knowing?

Is it better to leave such things in the murky past? Absent some sort of prior abusive relationship, are such re-connections wise, foolish, or simply innocuous bits of nostalgia?

A Tale of 7 Beers (and 1 Shot)

Thursday Night: We finished a mediation and settled it with a fairly good recovery for our client. The opposing counsel, however, was completely off his rocker. He tried to pick a fight with my boss, then with the mediator (a retired judge!) and freaked out his client badly. I'm amazed we settled, and afterwards necessary beers were had.
Count: 2 Bass Ale

Friday Night: Annual firm night out at the Oakland A's. They were playing the Angels, and we tailgated for a couple hours before the game. Met the significant others of a few of our associates, and had some good BBQ. After the game, there were fireworks, and they were really impressive. Surprisingly impressive! I had forgotten how cool the final 45 seconds can be when they just go apeshit with the 'works.
Count: 3 Pacificos, 1 Heineken, and a shot of Don Julio

Saturday Night: Impromptu visit to a tiki bar in Alameda. Amazing interior--they really don't skimp on the tikiness--and great people-watching. There were gigantic flaming drinks but we decided they'd probably kill us via burning or alcohol poisoning and opted for beers instead. A good time was had.
Count: 2 Hefeweizen, brand unknown

I know, some people just have 7 beers in one night (or 2 hours, you know who you are) but this was a lot for me. Then again, I didn't get even a little drunk except for a brief period of buzzedness about 20 minutes after the Don Julio. Mexican bastard.

Let's Get Down to Business

People, some things need to be changed around here.

Here being me. Around me.

You can really only look at so many pictures of yourself before you realize you are headed down an out-of-shape path that should be abandoned as quickly as possible. Yes, if I had better posture I might not notice anything, but I've always had bad posture.

Because it's always hard to stick to things, especially when you're doing it only through your own willpower--and many of you may recall my willpower tends to be intermittent at best--I figured I'd throw it onto the web for all to see.

The Situation
I currently weigh, according to my inaccurate bathroom scale, 209 pounds. This is not bad for my height (6'3") but it is "overweight" according to the deeply flawed BMI system. The system, however, is deeply flawed for reasons unrelated to my particular situation; my weight is not "all muscle".

The Plan
Step One: Eating better. Enough is enough with the fast food; it used to be that my lifestyle and metabolism could keep up, but now that I've been office-bound for more than a year, my metabolism can't handle the load. It's also healthy for a wide variety of other reasons, not the least of which is that I rarely feel "good" after eating from Wendy's or Taco Bell. Yes, even Wendy's. It's the end of an era.

Also, no more soda. Not even diet (which tastes horrible, so that won't be a problem). The caffeine isn't that great for you and the sugar in soda is ridiculous. I'm also cutting down on Starbucks to 1 or 2 times a week, tops, instead of 4-5.

Step Two: I dislike working out and I don't belong to a gym. I also don't feel like I have "time" because there are things I like to do to which I give preference. But I do occasionally enjoy a good run, and the "high" afterwards is pretty great. So I'm going to step that up as well, and after a few weeks of running and mild weight-training, I may join the overpriced gym right next door.

The Goal
To be less than 200 pounds again. I don't need washboard abs or anything like that, but my body has the capacity for a great deal more endurance and strength than current operational levels. I used to be able to run 7+ miles without stopping or walking. Granted, that was when I was 18, but it seems theoretically achievable.

Status: 209 lbs
No Soda: -4 days
No Fast Food: -3 days

Comments are, of course, welcome. I'd just turn them off if they weren't.