Record Breaking Storm

We just survived one of the strongest storms on record in Seattle. Winds recorded over 100mph and rain falling faster than the systems could keep up with it. So far so good around our house as it looks like we escaped with no damage. Scroll down about 4 photos to see the transition of weather of the past few days.

Then the winds. Trees and power lines are down everywhere. Over 1 million people were left without power in the Puget Sound region. As I write two mornings later, 650,000 people still don't have power, but we got it back last night :)

Then came the rain! More rain I have ever seen fall at once in Seattle. Their was literally a river running down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. While I didn't see it, the confluence of Rio MLK and Rio Madison (a few blocks from our house) was quite a scene.

After some clear weather, a few clouds pushed in revealing this nice walk on Rado's morning walk.

Some recent high pressure in the NW brought the typical fog that burns off to blue skies. A winter commonality up here.

Law School Final Exams

Finals began the Monday after Thanksgiving for me this year with an Appellate Oral Argument. I am now entering my third week of exams, and the experience of these exams propelled me to look up a couple quotes from a book I read before entering law school:

Final exams play on a law student’s world like some weirdly orbiting moon. They are always in sight; but while they’re at a distance, they serve merely to create the tensions which swell daily like tides – to read, to keep pace, to understand. As exams draw close, however, in December (and May), their gravitational forces starts to shake the whole place to pieces.

FYI, for those who don't know, the typical law school course has one final exam that determines your entire grade.

It is Monday morning, and when I walk into the central building I can feel my stomach clench. For the next five days I will assume that I am somewhat less intelligent than anyone around me. At most moments I’ll suspect that the privilege I enjoy was conferred as some kind of peculiar hoax. I will be certain that no matter what I do, I will not do it well enough; and when I fail, I know that I will burn with shame. By Friday my nerves will be so brittle from sleeplessness and pressure and intellectual fatigue that I will not be certain I can make it through the day. * * * I am distracted at most times and have difficulty keeping up a conversation, even with my wife. At random instants, I am likely to be stricken with acute feelings of panic, depression, indefinite need and the pep talks and irony I practice on myself only seem to make it worse.
I am a law student in my first year at the law, and there are many moments when I am simply a mess.

-- Scott Turow, ONE L

I am now in my second year. Arguably the hardest semester of the program, and while I do my best to maintian a certain amount of integrity grounded in my life outside of the law, the second to last sentence has rung especially true is days of late.

Constitutional Law - Final Exam

My take home final reads, in pertinant part:

Describe the model of government or of the legal system that you think our Constitution aims to create, and specify the doctrines of Constitutional law that support your proffered model. Be sure to locate the legal principles you choose to discuss in the document, describe their operation using relevant case law, and articulate the way they contribute to the creation of the democratic order you have in mind.

Due Tuesday. Maximum Six Pages. This will pretty much be consuming my thoughts until then.

A cool picture I stole from the NYTimes during our rainy November

Snow in Seattle and Rado's Ghost

Giving plant to the neighbors.

Saturday provided a break in the weather and allowed Jen to do some thinning in here garden.

The day after Thanksgiving, we burned off some calories powder skiing at Crystal Mtn. You can learn more about this adventure at www.SurfaceHoar.blogspot.com

Thanksgiving 06 - Joining us this year, in addition to Jen's Mom and Aunt Janet, were Jen's friend Olivia and her Mom, "M," and my friend, Todd Gillman.

Install more of these ...

To any city planners that may be reading, I would like to request more of these:



After toughing it out this week on the bike (we have recieved record rainfalls over the last couple days) and dealing with an angry driver this morning in his big monster truck, I am very anti-car at the moment. Go Bollards!
Thanks for sending me the link, Orion.

More Fun in Intellectual Property Class

House of Cosby's ... ever heard of it. I hadn't, but I guess it is/was pretty popular. Here is the first episode which will give you the gist:



See the full series (episodes #1-4) HERE

Do you think this should be illegal? Bill Cosby does/did. But see the response from House of Cosby Fans (not the original producer) in the above link (episode #5). Warning: not for sensitive eyes or ears.

Loving Seattle Right Now

This spring and summer I was really missing life in a small town--specifically a mountain town. But at the very moment I am digging life in Seattle. Partly because Fall in Seattle is out of control. I don't even the remember the last time I saw a cloud, besides some morning patchy fog, which always burns off to incredibly sunny days and crisp, clear nights. And the Fall colors are spectacular. But what has motivated me to write is the city's music scene, which I rarely take advantage of. However, today, while running errands I decided to pop into ballard and catch some live music hosted by the local public radio station, KEXP. I just watched a band I have never heard of, CSS - a great Brazilian art-indie band worth checking out, and now I'm grabbing an afternoon mocha while I wait for Micheal Franti.

cheers

Fun in Intellectual Property Class

My IP class is by far my most fun course of the semester. We are constantly listening to music, watching movies, surfing the web and examining other forms of pop culture and how they relate to trademarks, copyrights, and patents - the backbone of Intellectual Property Law.

This is an area of law I have taken a particular interest in as of recently. This interest is especially sparked in regards to the public interest as it relates to issues within this field. We had a guest speaker today, COLETTE VOGELE, who specializes in podcasting.

She began with this VIDEO.

What do you think? Do you think that should be illegal????

Here are some other resources if your interest is piqued.
A NonProfit Center at Stanford with lots of info if you dig a little
A free book and related topics

A picture for Mom.

Bryan and Lise-Anne's Wedding at Skookumchuck, BC over the last weekend in September. They are good friends of mine who live in Squamish, BC.

Dr. Dan. He founded and runs the clinic in East Timor where she has volunteered for the last two years. According to Jen, he is amazing and gives every waking moment to this clinic and the community.