"Some people need an Intoxilyzer installed on their computers."
- Ex.Coll.
Yes, I'm actually quoting myself, how sad.
What may be even sadder that that I've typed that very sentence in not one, but two emails I sent this evening. I don’t know if that speaks more about me or my circle of friends.
I fear I already know the answer.
12.28.2007
12.23.2007
Airing of Grievances
Here are just a few people/things I have problems with:
Dean Ramos –I really miss Dean Aleman. She was no much more reasonable. This guy’s an ass. Posters only on the handful of approved locations, screwing with the final exam policies, and I’m sure he’s done other stuff that pisses me off. He did a good job as Dean of Admissions, after all, he accepted me.
Dean Sager – a truly inept dean. For further commentary check out my archive.
The SBA – the most worthlessest organization ever conceived by self-important law students.
Elevator Riders – please, and this really should be common sense, when you are going to get into an elevator, wait to make sure there is no one getting out before you try to get in. I find this a particular problem in the elevator next to Sager's office.
Bad Christmas Gifts – You know I was going to create a post about the worst gifts to give law students. Despite my research (and finding truly atrocious gifts for law students such as this and this), I never got off my ass to actually do it. I’m glad, because my boss gave be a terrible gift that I would have never thought to include on the list. A photo of it is below.
People Who Bitch When They Really Have No Reason To (and yes, I know I am the leader in this category) – I assume most of the half dozen readers who stumble across this blog are law students. We really don’t have a lot to bitch about. We have an opportunity that a lot of people in the country would love to have and should appreciate that fact.
Dean Ramos –I really miss Dean Aleman. She was no much more reasonable. This guy’s an ass. Posters only on the handful of approved locations, screwing with the final exam policies, and I’m sure he’s done other stuff that pisses me off. He did a good job as Dean of Admissions, after all, he accepted me.
Dean Sager – a truly inept dean. For further commentary check out my archive.
The SBA – the most worthlessest organization ever conceived by self-important law students.
Elevator Riders – please, and this really should be common sense, when you are going to get into an elevator, wait to make sure there is no one getting out before you try to get in. I find this a particular problem in the elevator next to Sager's office.
Bad Christmas Gifts – You know I was going to create a post about the worst gifts to give law students. Despite my research (and finding truly atrocious gifts for law students such as this and this), I never got off my ass to actually do it. I’m glad, because my boss gave be a terrible gift that I would have never thought to include on the list. A photo of it is below.
People Who Bitch When They Really Have No Reason To (and yes, I know I am the leader in this category) – I assume most of the half dozen readers who stumble across this blog are law students. We really don’t have a lot to bitch about. We have an opportunity that a lot of people in the country would love to have and should appreciate that fact.
12.18.2007
final (?) disctraction
Well, kids, my finals are over. What does that mean? Now that I don't have much to b distracted from, I've somewhat lost my motivation for posting distractions. BUt don't worry, I'm working on a nice rant to post soon.
Until then, I leave you The Impossible Quiz.
Until then, I leave you The Impossible Quiz.
12.16.2007
Well played, Sager
In an effort to avoid studying, I came across this article in Texas Lawyer regarding the tuition rate increases at the Law School.
Here are just a couple excerpts I found interesting:
“Some of the money generated by the tuition increases would go for scholarships and student loan repayment assistance ‘to soften the burden on students with the greatest need, while sticking it to others whom our computers say can pay for this’ he [Sager] says.”
Ok, I added the last part of the Sager quote. I do have to compliment him on his strategy. He knew a lot of students would be pissed at the tuition rate increase, but that the majority of those students would also be interested in an LRAP. So he got the best of both worlds by proposing an increase that’s more than he needs in order to throw a few bucks over to the LRAP and shutting up the most vocal opponents. I find it interesting that there aren’t any details floating around about this “LRAP,” not even here. I wonder if this LRAP will at least cover the increased tuition.
.........................
“Even with the proposed increases, UT law school's tuition and fees will not be as high as some of the institutions it considers to be peers.”
Not Harvard or Yale. See analysis.
.........................
“McKen Carrington, dean of Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, says his school's current tuition rates are $11,528 for residents and $15,278 for nonresidents. Carrington says the school probably will request "modest increases" but has not come up with specific figures yet.”
I’m just glad that at least one of the two schools with a lower bar passage is cheaper than UT.
.........................
“’We have no idea whether the regents will approve this,’ Sager says of the law school's proposal.”
Sager, if this is true, you are even more inept than I thought. Seriously, you are putting all your tuition eggs in one basket and don’t even know if the regents will approve of this. I know you can’t expect anything from them with certainty, but to have “no idea” is insane. Let’s say your fiefdom is dealt a blow by the regents and shoots down your tuition proposal. Do you mean to say that you are willing to wait another couple years to get this passed? Ask anyone who’s ever done a budget proposal, you don’t ask for approval not having any idea on whether it will pass.
.........................
Well played, Elf Moneybags. Well played indeed. At least well played against the students. As for the regents, only time will tell.
Here are just a couple excerpts I found interesting:
“Some of the money generated by the tuition increases would go for scholarships and student loan repayment assistance ‘to soften the burden on students with the greatest need, while sticking it to others whom our computers say can pay for this’ he [Sager] says.”
Ok, I added the last part of the Sager quote. I do have to compliment him on his strategy. He knew a lot of students would be pissed at the tuition rate increase, but that the majority of those students would also be interested in an LRAP. So he got the best of both worlds by proposing an increase that’s more than he needs in order to throw a few bucks over to the LRAP and shutting up the most vocal opponents. I find it interesting that there aren’t any details floating around about this “LRAP,” not even here. I wonder if this LRAP will at least cover the increased tuition.
.........................
“Even with the proposed increases, UT law school's tuition and fees will not be as high as some of the institutions it considers to be peers.”
Not Harvard or Yale. See analysis.
.........................
“McKen Carrington, dean of Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, says his school's current tuition rates are $11,528 for residents and $15,278 for nonresidents. Carrington says the school probably will request "modest increases" but has not come up with specific figures yet.”
I’m just glad that at least one of the two schools with a lower bar passage is cheaper than UT.
.........................
“’We have no idea whether the regents will approve this,’ Sager says of the law school's proposal.”
Sager, if this is true, you are even more inept than I thought. Seriously, you are putting all your tuition eggs in one basket and don’t even know if the regents will approve of this. I know you can’t expect anything from them with certainty, but to have “no idea” is insane. Let’s say your fiefdom is dealt a blow by the regents and shoots down your tuition proposal. Do you mean to say that you are willing to wait another couple years to get this passed? Ask anyone who’s ever done a budget proposal, you don’t ask for approval not having any idea on whether it will pass.
.........................
Well played, Elf Moneybags. Well played indeed. At least well played against the students. As for the regents, only time will tell.
Weekend Distraction
Given that the weekend is usually a distraction in and of itself, I didn't post a distraction. However, sensing that since finals resume on Monday, many people may be studying today, therefore, I give you the weekend distraction. This one comes from an odd place, NASA.
I'm not sure how distracting this will be, but go ahead, look for the teapot. [Note: I'm not sure if this will actually work here, you may have to click the link above and see the high-res version.]
" Explanation: Is this picture worth a thousand words? According to the Holographic Principle, the most information you can get from this image is about 3 x 1065 bits for a normal sized computer monitor. The Holographic Principle, yet unproven, states that there is a maximum amount of information content held by regions adjacent to any surface. Therefore, counter-intuitively, the information content inside a room depends not on the volume of the room but on the area of the bounding walls. The principle derives from the idea that the Planck length, the length scale where quantum mechanics begins to dominate classical gravity, is one side of an area that can hold only about one bit of information. The limit was first postulated by physicist Gerard 't Hooft in 1993. It can arise from generalizations from seemingly distant speculation that the information held by a black hole is determined not by its enclosed volume but by the surface area of its event horizon. The term "holographic" arises from a hologram analogy where three-dimension images are created by projecting light though a flat screen. Beware, other people looking at the above image may not claim to see 3 x 1065 bits -- they might claim to see a teapot."
I'm not sure how distracting this will be, but go ahead, look for the teapot. [Note: I'm not sure if this will actually work here, you may have to click the link above and see the high-res version.]
" Explanation: Is this picture worth a thousand words? According to the Holographic Principle, the most information you can get from this image is about 3 x 1065 bits for a normal sized computer monitor. The Holographic Principle, yet unproven, states that there is a maximum amount of information content held by regions adjacent to any surface. Therefore, counter-intuitively, the information content inside a room depends not on the volume of the room but on the area of the bounding walls. The principle derives from the idea that the Planck length, the length scale where quantum mechanics begins to dominate classical gravity, is one side of an area that can hold only about one bit of information. The limit was first postulated by physicist Gerard 't Hooft in 1993. It can arise from generalizations from seemingly distant speculation that the information held by a black hole is determined not by its enclosed volume but by the surface area of its event horizon. The term "holographic" arises from a hologram analogy where three-dimension images are created by projecting light though a flat screen. Beware, other people looking at the above image may not claim to see 3 x 1065 bits -- they might claim to see a teapot."
12.14.2007
Sorry about yesterday
I didn't get a chance to post a distraction. But I hope I'm making up for it with Turkey Bowling!
Thanks for the tip, C.
Thanks for the tip, C.
12.12.2007
12.11.2007
A productive distraction
Are you tired of reading that boring old outline for the 23rd time? Do you wish you had someone to read it to you? How about loading it onto your iPod? Do you find that Speak-and-Spell voice engaging and dynamic?
12.10.2007
It's Finals Time again
With Ruth's graduation, and Hawk McGee's premature retirement, it looks like it's falling on me to provide the UT law community a nice distraction.
Enjoy.
-----------
Mid-Day Update
Enjoy.
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Mid-Day Update
It’s 1:00, here’s how my day’s gone so far:
6:00 wake up ready to face the day
6:02 back to sleep
7:00 really wake up
7:30 get out of bed
8:30 out the door
9:00 hit the corner store, I got a long day of studying in front of me, I can be bothered with such trivialities as stopping to eat
9:20 library, time to check email, news and the blog roll
10:00 Uh-Oh… email from the boss, quick research assignment, shouldn’t take more than 10-20 minutes.
10:45 research done, include note that its time for finals – I can’t be bothered
11:00 reach my blog… man it’s been a long time since I’ve updated. I need to post a distraction
11:05 begin looking for a distraction
11:30 found a few good ones, but nothing quite good enough for my readers
11:40 bingo… found a good (enough) one, update blog
11:45 maybe the other UT bloggers have updated
12:00 Blues Bothers! (thanks Godel)
12:45 still watching BB clips – crap! is it 12:45 already?
12:47 okay, no more internet – time to hit the books
12:50 realize I forgot my outlines
Rest of the day: shot to hell
12.05.2007
What The Fuck?
Sometimes the ubiquitous “WTF” or it’s variants (e.g. “W.T.F.”, “w-t-f”, etc.) just don’t quite capture the anger, outrage, and disgust you are trying to convey. Sometimes, at the risk of sounding crude or unrefined, you just have to say it in explicit language: What the Fuck.
“What the fuck” is what’s going through my head after seeing that “Professor Berman has been selected to receive the 2008 Texas Exes Teaching Award for having had a positive influence on the educational experience of university students at the school of law.”
How on Earth is this possible? I had the misfortune of suffering through his Con Law class when I was a 1L. Before taking his class, I actually enjoyed Con Law, now I’ll do anything to avoid anything even resembling it. I didn’t learn a singe thing in his class. I dreaded attending his class even on day’s it didn’t meet. It is easily the worst class, taught by the worst professor, I’ve ever had – and I had Contracts with Rau! At least with Rau I leaned a little about
And I’m not the only one who felt this way. I cannot think of a single person in that class who actually thought it was a good class. Well, maybe one person (she pulled all the good posts, but you remember). Everyone in my small section who I’ve spoken to is in agreement: Berman was bad. Sure there are disagreements about who is good and bad. I liked Sharlot, but know others who didn’t. I couldn’t stand my Civ Pro prof (visiting from u of H), but some in my section actually sent a letter to Powers asking he be considered for a full-time position here. I could go on and on, but no one, and I mean no one, has ever told me they thought Berman was a good professor.
Seriously, how could Berman get any sort of recognition for “having had a positive influence on the educational experience of university students at the school of law”? Here are a few possibilities:
1) It’s a typo. They actually tried to spell Smith but if came out B-E-R-M-A-N.
2) One of the following is true: (a) “positive influence” in this context actually means “irreparable harm”; (b) “educational experience” in this context means “degradation of legal scholarship”; or “at the school of law” really means “at every other law school because of his presence here.”
3) April Fools’ day came late this year.
4) It’s in his contract that he's to get some sort of award regardless of teaching ability.
Then I saw it: Law Mail group: Student Government - SBA Student Contact: Lyons, Katherine J
The reason he got this award because it’s sponsored by SBA. The SBA is absolutely worthless and isn’t able to do anything right. There is no doubt in my mind that the SBA can, and will, fuck up everything it touches. Forget Sager, email SBA.
12.04.2007
LRAP
As reported by Coleslaw, it looks like UT will soon be the owner of a bright, shiny, new LRAP program.
I’ve never been for an LRAP, and I’m still not. What I do find interesting is whether any of the soon to be in place tuition increase will go to that. If so, will the same people who were opposed to the in increase still feel that way and be as vocal about it.
I’ve never been for an LRAP, and I’m still not. What I do find interesting is whether any of the soon to be in place tuition increase will go to that. If so, will the same people who were opposed to the in increase still feel that way and be as vocal about it.
Email from Dean Sager, annotated
To All Suckers--
Several of you have e-mailed me, raising questions or concerns about tuition. Please stop. I haven’t given much in the way of answers in the past (although I am getting better at making excuses) so why should I start now? I am writing to assure you that no decisions of any kind have been made concerning 2L or 3L tuition in 2008-2009, or 3L tuition in 2009-2010. Did you honestly think we would put that much work into this before we went public with it? Come on now, what school have you been attending?
No decisions will be made until we have begun the Spring Semester, and until there has been “consultation” with the student community, you know that worthless group of former student council members, the SBA. But don’t worry, we’ll wait until Spring Break or Finals time to “discuss” this in order to ensure you have plenty of other things on your mind.
Good luck on your examinations, and enjoy your holidays. Now quit emailing me.
--Larry “thinking twice” Sager
Dean and Chief Tuition Officer
Several of you have e-mailed me, raising questions or concerns about tuition. Please stop. I haven’t given much in the way of answers in the past (although I am getting better at making excuses) so why should I start now? I am writing to assure you that no decisions of any kind have been made concerning 2L or 3L tuition in 2008-2009, or 3L tuition in 2009-2010. Did you honestly think we would put that much work into this before we went public with it? Come on now, what school have you been attending?
No decisions will be made until we have begun the Spring Semester, and until there has been “consultation” with the student community, you know that worthless group of former student council members, the SBA. But don’t worry, we’ll wait until Spring Break or Finals time to “discuss” this in order to ensure you have plenty of other things on your mind.
Good luck on your examinations, and enjoy your holidays. Now quit emailing me.
--Larry “thinking twice” Sager
Dean and Chief Tuition Officer
12.03.2007
free advice (and worth every penny)
It's the most crappiest time of the year (for law students).
There is no time worse than Fall Finals season. You have the stress of the 1Ls who have no idea what sort of mess they are in for. Add to that unemployed 2Ls who are trying to boost their GPA in an effort to improve their job prospects. Mix in the paranoid, employed 2Ls who think they might loose their job offer if they don't do well, or they want to improve their GPA to improve their job prospects for next year. Oh, and you have the unemployed 3Ls, who are stressed, but not due to finals, but due to lack of job. Once you have all that in one place you end up with the environment of stress. Those who have never experienced it probably don't know what stress in the air feels like. It feels like shit. My advice to all of you, especially 1Ls: get out. Find someplace else to study. Go to another library, an undergrad or even a community college. Find a park you can read at. Grab a bench on the Mall. Seriously, get out; You'll thank me for it.
Oh, and you could probably do well with a small distraction (Hawk introduced me to it, and it's still one of the best).
There is no time worse than Fall Finals season. You have the stress of the 1Ls who have no idea what sort of mess they are in for. Add to that unemployed 2Ls who are trying to boost their GPA in an effort to improve their job prospects. Mix in the paranoid, employed 2Ls who think they might loose their job offer if they don't do well, or they want to improve their GPA to improve their job prospects for next year. Oh, and you have the unemployed 3Ls, who are stressed, but not due to finals, but due to lack of job. Once you have all that in one place you end up with the environment of stress. Those who have never experienced it probably don't know what stress in the air feels like. It feels like shit. My advice to all of you, especially 1Ls: get out. Find someplace else to study. Go to another library, an undergrad or even a community college. Find a park you can read at. Grab a bench on the Mall. Seriously, get out; You'll thank me for it.
Oh, and you could probably do well with a small distraction (Hawk introduced me to it, and it's still one of the best).
12.01.2007
Tuition rate increases
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of the forthcoming tuition rate increases. They suck, but they were expected.
When I was a 1L, I learned that the University (or was it the Law School?) was so “concerned” that tuition was rising that they imposed a three year freeze on tuition. “Great for me, sucks for the class of 09,” I thought. I was right. I assumed what the school did was raise it the year before by more than it needed and was going to really stick it to the students as soon as the 3 year freeze was over.
So now many people are pissed. I can’t really say I blame them, but maybe the school really does need to raise tuition. I have no idea if they “need” the money, but I do know, based on my current job situation, there are too many lawyers coming out of law school right now. Maybe I’m just being hypocritical since I won’t be affected by the increase, or maybe I’m bitter because I’m unemployed, or maybe I’m just spending too much time thinking about this because I don’t want to study, whatever the case, I’m tempted to just tell everyone bitching about it to get over it.
Schools do whatever the hell they want and they really don’t give a shit about you until you’re an alum and they can hit you up for $$$ (and tell you if you give, they won’t have to raise tuition). They already have you here and you most likely aren’t going anywhere; they have no reason to do a damn thing you ask for. As for the next wave of students, I doubt this will be a major concern given the majority of students are paying for school with loans. I know a lot of people are thinking how important cost in when choosing a school, and maybe for them it was a major factor. I do think a sizeable majority would still be at UT even if the cost of school was higher. I know I would.
That said, I probably will still send an email to Sager, complaining about the increase, the process, the “secrecy”, and whatever other talking points are circulating. Not because I care, and certainly not because I think it will make a damn bit of difference, but because I like to give Sager a hard time.
When I was a 1L, I learned that the University (or was it the Law School?) was so “concerned” that tuition was rising that they imposed a three year freeze on tuition. “Great for me, sucks for the class of 09,” I thought. I was right. I assumed what the school did was raise it the year before by more than it needed and was going to really stick it to the students as soon as the 3 year freeze was over.
So now many people are pissed. I can’t really say I blame them, but maybe the school really does need to raise tuition. I have no idea if they “need” the money, but I do know, based on my current job situation, there are too many lawyers coming out of law school right now. Maybe I’m just being hypocritical since I won’t be affected by the increase, or maybe I’m bitter because I’m unemployed, or maybe I’m just spending too much time thinking about this because I don’t want to study, whatever the case, I’m tempted to just tell everyone bitching about it to get over it.
Schools do whatever the hell they want and they really don’t give a shit about you until you’re an alum and they can hit you up for $$$ (and tell you if you give, they won’t have to raise tuition). They already have you here and you most likely aren’t going anywhere; they have no reason to do a damn thing you ask for. As for the next wave of students, I doubt this will be a major concern given the majority of students are paying for school with loans. I know a lot of people are thinking how important cost in when choosing a school, and maybe for them it was a major factor. I do think a sizeable majority would still be at UT even if the cost of school was higher. I know I would.
That said, I probably will still send an email to Sager, complaining about the increase, the process, the “secrecy”, and whatever other talking points are circulating. Not because I care, and certainly not because I think it will make a damn bit of difference, but because I like to give Sager a hard time.
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