Changina

Ninja Warrior

2009-10-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

Now that I get G4 from Comcast, I'm obsessed with Sasuke, aka Ninja Warrior. It's a Japanese competition featuring a single-day, 4-stage obstacle course, held twice a year for 100 competitors. So far there have been 23 editions, and only two of the 2300 competitors have ever completed all 4 stages, most recently Makoto Nagano in Sasuke 17. Nagano has entered the last 17 editions, and he's advanced to Stage 2 twelve times, Stage 3 ten times, and Stage 4 five times, resulting in one victory and two agonizing close calls.

One of those close calls was in the latest edition, Sasuke 23. Keep in mind when watching these videos that these are the best performances, by guys who make this stuff look easy.

Stage 1 is always the longest and most varied. This is Levi Meeuwenberg, a badass free runner and America's best hope at Ninja Warrior (he was the only competitor to make it to Stage 3 in Sasuke 20), destroying the stage with 30 seconds to spare, while most competitors who advance to Stage 2 make it with only seconds remaining. Sixteen out of 100 competitors made it out of this stage, including Levi and Nagano.

Stage 2 is shorter but more intense. The obstacles are more focused on strength, including the ridiculous Salmon Ladder. Here's Nagano dominating it. Seven of the 16 competitors advanced out of this stage, including Levi and Nagano.

Stage 3 is a pure test of upper body strength, and it is not timed, though competitors have only 30 seconds to rest in between obstacles. Levi failed on the Cliffhanger, the second time he's failed to get past it, but Nagano and one other competitor survived:

Stage 4 is all about getting to the top in the allotted time climbing a rope ladder in the first half and a rope in the second half. The other guy didn't even come close, but Nagano came up just a couple meters short.

Sasuke 24 is coming in December on G4!

One More Year

2009-09-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

Contrary to the blog's dormancy, the past month has been quite eventful. Most importantly, I have a job! After the program ended, I was quietly optimistic, but frankly, the following weeks of waiting slowly ate away at my confidence. Did I screw anything up? Would I be a victim of the economic climate? I started thinking about the possibility of having to prepare cover letters and resumes, cold call, interview, and pay for my own bar expenses, all in a terrible market, and it was just deflating. Getting the offer made that all go away. Thank you, firm! Acceptance is in the mail.

Now I just need to run out the clock on law school. No journals, no grade concerns, no pressure. My schedule is a gentle Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, so I get the mid-week break and the long weekend. 3L rocks!

Blu-ray... Finally

2009-08-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Given my penchant for collecting movies (217 DVDs and counting), it took me a surprisingly long time to get a blu-ray player. I finally made the upgrade this week when I bought a new laptop with one built in.

Now it's time to start working on my blu-ray collection. Planet Earth is an obvious starting point. But two questions: 1) do I upgrade any of my existing collection, and 2) should all my new movies be in blu-ray?

Some choices are easy. The only blu-ray LOTR trilogy is the theatrical version. I'm not downgrading story just to upgrade technology. And THE trilogy is not in blu-ray in any form. Of course, for that one, I would prefer the theatrical versions.

Some choices are a little more difficult. Is Lost: Season 5 in blu-ray worth $11 more than the DVD set? What about $15 to upgrade Terminator or T2? $50 to upgrade to the Godfather trilogy blu-ray restoration set? How about my favorite movies that are less action-oriented, like A Few Good Men, Usual Suspects, or Shawshank?

Perhaps a test run on the big screen will convince me one way or the other. Planet Earth is on its way!

Top 30 iPhone Apps

2009-08-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

I recently upgraded from the original iPhone to the new 3GS, and I love it! It doesn't crash, it has 3G and GPS, and it allows me to finally take advantage of all the apps out there. Since upgrading, I've turned app downloading into sport.

It's tough to sort through all the junk out there, so I offer some guidance with my 30 favorite apps, broken into two categories: games and non-games.

Top 15 Non-Game Apps

1. Golfshot GPS - I can measure the distance of my drives, see how far I am from the green or hazard, get fairway targets set for me automatically based on my best carries into the green, and keep scores and stats (driving accuracy, GIR, putts/round, etc). Every golf course I've ever played is mapped, including Stanford, Palo Alto Muni, and Shoreline. It's $30, which sounds steep for an app, but comparable devices run $300 to $400, far more than the iPhone + app combined. I used it for the first time this afternoon, and it worked perfectly. My swing did not.

2. IM+ Push - Turns Google Talk (or any popular chat program) into SMS. Cost me $4.99, which I'm sure amuses Blackberry and Android owners. Whatever. If it's free, you don't appreciate it as much.

3. Shazam - It identified the Taylor Swift song playing on my car stereo and the Wheezer song used in the Whip It! trailer. It failed to identify my version of A Little Respect, something Midomi can reportedly do, but Midomi costs $4.99, and Shazam is free, so it's a no-brainer. Yeah, yeah, shut up.

4. ESPN ScoreCenter - Displays scores for each sport (or conference) you choose, with your favorite team at the top of each page. Scores update live and link to ESPN Gamecast. Free.

5. MotionX GPS - On a recent jog, MotionX mapped my route and measured my time, distance, average speed, and max speed. I can't wait to try it out on the slopes of Tahoe, or clock my top speed on blades or a bike. Hmm, would it be safe to take wakeboarding? The free lite version has all of the same basic functionality as the full $2.99 version except it can only save one route as opposed to an unlimited number.

6. Pocket Universe - Hold the phone up to the sky to identify what you are seeing, and the star map updates live as you move the phone. Or ask the program to locate something and direct you to it. Click to get more information, zoom into distant planets and stars, and see the outlines of constellations. A good value at $2.99, though that's still $2.99 more than Google Sky on the Android. Boo.

7. AllRecipes - Suggests recipes based on desired course, primary ingredient, and time to prepare. If I put in main course using chicken in under 45 minutes, it gives me... 70 recipes with description, ingredients, directions, nutritional information, and user reviews. Free.

8. TuneWiki - Displays the lyrics to any song playing on the iPod. Wait, it's not "Don't chew on me, baby?" Free.

9. SnapTell - Allows you to take a picture of any book, DVD, CD, or video game cover, and immediately compare prices online and in nearby stores. Especially useful when I'm browsing books and DVDs in B&N or Borders. Free.

10. Flixster - Shows me Rotten Tomato ratings, showtimes, and box office rankings of any movie, and also allows me to rate movies and see my friends' ratings. Free.

11. Howcast - A collection of how-to videos, like how to choose fruit in a supermarket, sync your iPhone calendar with your Google calendar, pick a lock, survive a bear attack, whatever! Free.

12. Hello Vino - Recommends wines (varietals and labels) to pair with your meal. Free.

13. Drinks - A directory of pretty much every mixed drink, cocktail, or shot known to man, sorted by name, ingredient, or drink type. Free.

14. Poker Timer - Alerts you when it's time to raise the blinds in a tournament. I suppose the iPhone timer could do essentially the same thing, but this automates things, and it's free.

15. Kindle - It's the Kindle on the iPhone, for free. Now I just need digital books.

Top 15 Game Apps

1. Baseball Slugger - An addictive homerun hitting contest with a nice variety of game modes, including excellent online play. The accelerometer controls the bat's placement, and a tap on the screen swings it. Simple yet brilliant. I have the second-best single game homerun total in the world! $0.99.

2. SkyDive - Try to land on a target as quickly as possible, but the longer you wait to pull your chute, the tougher it is to control the landing with the accelerometer. You also have to adjust for wind and the movement of the target. $0.99.

3. iShoot - A turn-based game in which you try to destroy the other tanks before they destroy you. Select trajectory, power, and artillery, then let it fly and pray for destruction. Multiplayer mode is available online, via wifi, or on a single phone. There is a free lite version, but I paid the $1.99 for the full version, which includes more levels and weapons.

4. GTS World Racing - An arcade style racer with time trial, tour, and grand prix modes. Accelerometer controls both steering (left-right) and speed (front-back). A little steep at $4.99, more than some other well-reviewed racing games, but I thought it had the best feature set and controls. Main downside is the boring, repetitive scenery. Ferarri GT is much more visually appealing (famous landmarks and beautiful cars) and costs only $0.99, but the controls are terrible. Fastlane looks good for $3.99. The controls are solid in the Lite version, and the game modes in the full version look fun. I may have to check it out.

5. Arcade Bowling - Pay the $0.99 for the full version of this skeeball game to access the progressive mode, which sets ever-increasing point targets to advance to the next round and add to your point total. Sliding your finger controls the ball's launch and speed, and the accelerometer controls its movement in the air.

6. FS5 Hockey - An air hockey game that allows for two-player mode on a single phone or via wifi on two phones. Your finger controls the paddle, and you can lift your finger to lift the paddle and trap the puck. The free version is the same as the full version but with annoying ads, so I paid the $1.99 to get rid of 'em.

7. KitchenSink - A simple game of reflexes. Tap on the coins and rings before they go down the drain, but let the rotten fruit go. Hit the fruit and you lose points, but let three coins or rings go down the drain, and the game is over. Free.

8. Paper Toss - Toss wads of paper into a garbage bin with finger controls, adjusting for the varying wind from an electric fan. Try to get the longest streak. Free.

9. SuperBall 3 - A solid Arkenoid imitation with finger control of the paddle. Accelerometer control is also available but impossible to use effectively. The full version offers way more levels, but I don't play it much, so I am sticking with the free lite version for now.

10. Sudoku - A clean interface, varying levels of difficulty, and speed records. It's free, but you can get more puzzles for $2.99.

11. Rope'n'Fly - Swing from skyscraper to skyscraper like Spider-Man, and try to get as far as you can. Touch once to employ your rope, touch again to release, and repeat the process until you come crashing down. Gameplay is a bit clunky, but it's a fun quick hitter. Stick to the free version.

12. Labrynth 3D - A 3D wooden labrynth game with multiple levels and speed records. Nice use of the accelerometer. Free.

13. MazeFinger - A speed maze game with finger controls. Not bad, but so much room for improvement. Free.

14. Topple - Try to pile the blocks up to the goalline, but the pieces are unstable and topple easily, especially when the platform is slanted. Free.

15. Lightsaber - Not actually a game, this app turns the phone into a virtual lightsaber. Pick your handle and color, then fire it up and play Jedi. Includes all the right sound effects when you start it up, swing it around, hit something, and shut it down. Fun for about 30 seconds at a time, but what the hell, it's free.

Those are my picks. Got any suggestions for me?

Anyone Have HBO?!

2009-08-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Holy crap, Seinfeld reunion on HBO!

Sort of.

This entire season's Curb Your Enthusiasm will revolve around Larry David's attempt to organize a Seinfeld reunion! It will include Larry and Jerry writing the episode, as well as aspects of the read-through, rehearsals, and filming. Plus all of the behind-the-scenes stuff, possibly including the fallout from the Michael Richards debacle. All four castmates are in, and supporting players like Bania and Newman will also be included. The reunion show will play out in the season finale, though only as a show within the show.

I imagine the season will unfold like an extended version of The Pilot episodes in Seinfeld, when Jerry was being produced, cast, and filmed. Brilliant! Damn I'm excited! It's like a mulligan on the mediocre finale!

Only one problem. No HBO! Anyone around here have it? Please? I must not miss this!

I Gotta See This

2009-07-31T00:14:00.000-07:00

Star Wars in Concert, a live symphony orchestra and choir performance of Star Wars music, coordinated with original montages from the films playing on a three-story-tall, high-definition LED super-screen, with narration by Anthony Daniels! It can't miss!

For those of you in SoCal, it's playing at Honda Center on October 1 and 2, and Nokia Theater on October 7 and 8. Up here, there are two showings at the Shark Tank on October 11. Tickets go on sale August 2.

Return of the Blogger

2009-07-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've been AWOL for almost three months, as Rob recently brought to my attention. I chose to be discreet as I went about securing an offer from my summer firm. I'll know how that turns out soon enough.

In general terms, the program was a blast. Lots of firsts, despite it being my second go-round at the firm. First time wakeboarding. First time sailing. First time in a luxury box. First place in softball. :)

Now I have three weeks off before 3L starts, and I don't have very much planned for them. Hopefully I'll catch up on movies; I'm only a tad behind. I managed to see quite a few already: Star Trek, Angels & Demons, Terminator, Up 3D, and Harry Potter, but I still want to see Public Enemies and The Hangover. I've also badly neglected my Netflix pile, which includes Watchmen and An increasingly dust-gathering Valkyrie.

Gina and I might also make it down to SoCal for Disneyland, and Leslie has promised to take us riding, which would be another first for me. Yes, believe it or not, Leslie has somehow failed to get me on a horse before now.

And of course, I'll be blogging again. Stay tuned!

Must-See Flicks

2009-05-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

A quick breakdown of my must-sees for the summer movie season, which officially opens today.

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - The book was my second favorite in the series (behind Prisoner of Azkaban). The movies keep getting better.

2. Terminator Salvation - I'm a HUGE Terminator geek. Not sure about Anton Yelchin as Reese, but Christian Bale is a badass.

3. Brüno - I don't know if it can possibly match Borat, but Sacha Baron Cohen has earned my commitment to find out.

4. Up - The name says it all. Plus it's Pixar, and it's in 3D!

5. Angels & Demons - I liked the book, and unlike a lot of folks, I enjoyed the first movie. This one should be more cinematic.

6. Public Enemies - Michael Mann directing Depp and Bale in a crime drama? Wouldn't miss it.

I'll probably end up seeing a few others, based on reviews or just 'cause, but these are the ones I'll plan weekends around.

National Popular Vote

2009-04-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

There's a saying in baseball (according to Toby Ziegler, anyway). Every team's going to win 54 games, every team's going to lose 54, it's what you do with the other 54 games that counts.

Some approximation of that saying applies to presidential elections as well. Each candidate will win 180 electoral votes and lose 180, it's the remaining 180 votes that count. And they come from the same small group of battleground states every four years. Ohio and Florida are always critical. New Hampshire, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Nevada, Colorado. Perhaps a couple others.

Any state not on that list gets largely ignored, the winner-take-all system providing no incentive to poll, advertise, or campaign where the outcome is already determined (and often pre-determined). In 2004, candidates concentrated over two-thirds of their money and campaign visits in just five states; over 80 percent in nine states; and over 99 percent of their money in just 16 states.

The creatively named National Popular Vote Inc (whose president was recently a guest speaker in one of my classes) is making a serious effort to change this dynamic, by ensuring that the presidency is awarded to the winner of the national popular vote. And contrary to popular belief, this doesn't require a Constitutional Amendment to throw out the electoral system.

Instead, NPV is trying to get each state to pass a bill under which that state agrees to award all of its electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, regardless of the outcome in the state itself. The bill is only activated when enough states (states accounting for at least 270 electoral votes) pass it, at which point the winner of the popular vote is guaranteed an electoral college majority. Genius!

Now, there may be some misgivings about changing a system established by our Founding Fathers in what seems like an end run around the Constitution to screw the small states and destroy federalism. I'll let NPV's myth-busting page address those concerns.

At this point, four states accounting for 50 electoral votes have enacted the National Popular Vote Bill: Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey. Only 220 more electoral votes to go. And interestingly, NPV's polling shows strong support for this bill not only nationally, but even in the battleground states. Maybe the voters there are just sick of being bombarded by election commercials. Whatever the reason, don't be surprised if this is in place by 2012...

3D!

2009-04-09T00:32:00.000-07:00

It didn't exactly take off the first time around, with the ridiculous red and blue glasses (an extra dimension, and all we had to sacrifice was 254 colors!), but 3D is back in a big way, and the experience is absolutely worth the extra few bucks.

So far Gina and I have only experienced the new Real D technology in animation (though it's occasionally used in live action films as well).

First was Bolt, a good movie in its own right, but definitely enhanced by the 3D. There were gratuitous objects in the foreground of most shots, and the occasional debris flying toward the screen, but I was actually wishing for more of that stuff. I didn't think it exploited the technology enough, especially for an action story.

Coraline was next, and while the movie was Tim Burton on acid (yeah, I know, but more acid), the visuals were stunning in 3D, which made up for some of the movie's shortcomings.

And this week we watched Monsters vs. Aliens, which made the best use of 3D yet. We also saw 3D sneak peaks of Up and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and they looked visually amazing.

I'm guessing most of you will see Up this summer, and I highly recommend giving 3D a shot. It'll be like watching a football game in HD. It's the same game, but it just looks so much better.

The Haney Project

2009-03-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

If you are a fan of golf or Charles Barkley, or comedy for that matter, you have to check out The Haney Project on the Golf Channel, Mondays at 6pm.

Barkley used to score regularly in the 80s, with occasional rounds in the 70s. But at some point the mental aspect of the game crushed him, and his swing came to look like this abomination:

Now Tiger's coach, Hank Haney, is taking on the task of fixing Barkley's swing. Based on just the first episode, which aired last week (posted below), it would probably cost millions for the amount of dedicated time Barkley gets from the famed swing guru. But you can already start to see the improvement.

Episode two airs tonight.

Oscar Mysteries

2009-02-19T00:48:00.000-08:00

It's been hard to get worked up about the Oscars recently. For the third straight year, I've seen only one of the five best picture nominees (heading into the show). This year I've seen only two of the twenty nominated performances, one more than last year and just two fewer than in '07.

Yet unlike the past two years, despite my continued unfamiliarity with most of the nominees, I'm actually looking forward to the show. In '08, Juno and Ellen Page weren't factors. In '07, The Departed was the favorite, but I didn't think it was that great, and I was actively rooting against Jennifer Hudson (to no avail). Didn't like Dreamgirls, and didn't like her in it. The other performances I saw that year (Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Mark Wahlberg) were fine but not contenders.

This year, I've seen the odds-on favorite for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor, and I thought both were excellent. I obviously can't say they deserve to win, since I haven't seen the other nominees, but I can say that they are both worthy of the honor. Heath Ledger is the biggest lock of the night, and I look forward to seeing his family accept on his behalf. As for Slumdog, it lived up to its considerable hype. Very creative and satisfying. If you haven't seen it yet, head to your nearest multiplex before Sunday night.

Hopefully I can do the same for Milk. For whatever reason, it's the only remaining movie I'd regret not seeing before the show.

P.S. I also saw (and enjoyed) Man on Wire and Wall-E, good bets to win Best Doc and Best Animated.

Lost Mysteries

2009-02-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

I love the way Lost is unfolding this season. Announcing an end-date has freed the creators to start wrapping up story lines. But it makes me wonder if they're going to have time to get to everything. And that's assuming there's something to get to in the first place. What if some of the so-called mysteries were just things they threw out there to mess with our heads? I'll be so annoyed.

Here are some questions I want answered:

Why did the psychic tell Claire she couldn't give up her baby?
What's the significance of Hurley's numbers?
Why was Libbey in Hurley's psych ward?
What's the deal with that four-toed statue?
Why can't babies survive when conceived on the island?
Why is Walt special?

What am I missing?

Fortuitous Scheduling

2009-01-30T03:27:00.000-08:00

3:52 AM

Thank goodness I don't have class on Fridays. This is just a tremendous, high-quality tennis match between the two lefty Spaniards, with some of the best rallies I can remember. They won't let me sleep!

Three hours in, and they're only 4-4 in the third, one set apiece. Already four service breaks this set! Gina's going to wake up before it's over (and probably roll her eyes at me).

Nice Verdasco profile on ESPN. This guy is easy to root for, and I think he's going to be in the mix for a couple of years. But I want Nadal/Federer VII. They're long overdue for a Grand Slam final on the hard stuff.

6:08 AM

Nadal wins the longest Australian Open match ever, at 5 hours and 14 minutes. I was emotional for Verdasco at the end. The guy played like a champ. It's a shame it had to end, and since there are no fifth-set tie-breakers, I was hoping for an extended, 15-13 conclusion. Instead, Verdasco fell behind love-40, fought off two break points with swinging volleys, then finally double-faulted to lose 4-6.

Here are two of the best points of the match, and they're representative of how the whole thing went:

Dr. Giggles

2009-01-21T23:31:00.000-08:00

That's my Sawyer nickname. What's yours?

TGIW

2009-01-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

Let the weekend begin!

I'm taking five classes this semester, but nothing on Thursday or Friday, so it's four-day weekends until the summer!

My classes, in order of interest:

1. Entrepreneurship for Lawyers - Mondays at 9am. We learn about business plans and investment screens, with projects centered around those topics. And no final exam!

One of my partners for the first project is Gina's second cousin's husband's son-in-law. Any creative business ideas for us out there?

2. Information Privacy Law - Mon-Wed at 11am. I've been interested in this topic since my Google days. After all, who's in the center of practically every information privacy controversy?

Two medium papers, and no final exam! The first is on a topic of our choice, and I'm thinking about doing it on Google's use and storage of user data, or Google's street view on Maps. Something Google. :)

3. California Environmental Law - Wednesdays at 3pm. Meets every other week with guest speakers, and one short paper. No final exam! What a dream.

4. Regulation of Land Use - Mondays at 3pm. A good topic with which to be familiar if Gina and I end up in Hawaii. In fact, the book was written by a prof at UH Law. Maybe I can go work for Kerry's dad. Take-home final.

5. Estates and Trusts - Tuesdays at 6pm. Ends at 9pm, which means I get home after ten on Tuesdays. :( Not at all ideal, but I feel like it's a class I should take. I currently know nothing about the topic. It's a 24-hour take-home final, but the prof says it should only take about three, so that's easy enough.

6. Finishing up the paper from last semester. Gigantic pain in the ass, but hopefully with a published paper to show for it in the end. We'll see!

So a pretty interesting slate, and plenty to keep me busy, but hopefully I'll be able to get most of my work done during my long BART rides and time between classes, allowing me to fully enjoy my four-day weekends. Looks like I'll be able to make all the Stanford hoops games after all!

I Love You, Harry!

2009-01-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

Gerald accuses me of being dead inside, à la Chandler.

Joey: You didn't cry when Bambi's mom died?
Chandler: Yes, it was so sad when the guy stopped drawing the deer.
...
Look, I don't cry, it's not a big deal, okay?
Joey: No, it's not okay, it's not okay at all. You're dead inside!

Gerald's litmus test? Armageddon, specifically the scene where AJ draws the short straw, but Harry saves him by taking his place:

poll by twiigs.com

Gerald refuses to believe that I didn't cry during that scene, says I'm afraid to admit it and ruin my macho image. He even bought me the DVD, presumably to remind me of the emotional punch that scene packs. But compelling as Ben Affleck's performance was, it failed to bring me to tears. It failed to bring me to mist.

But no, I am not dead inside. I'm not like Gina, who turned on the waterworks during Lauren and Heidi's reconciliation, but I can think of a few movies that made me cry. Following are my top five crying scenes (aside from Ace discovering that Einhorn is a man):

5. The Shawshank Redemption - Red's monologue, Thomas Newman's score, and the fadeout from the beach.

4. Glory - Trip's devastating whipping (Denzel is freakin' amazing), and the parade march, both with vintage James Horner.

3. Terminator 2 - The thumbs up into the molten steel with Brad Fiedel's awesome synth score.

2. The Sound of Music - Right after the captain fires Maria, when he hears the children singing, then finishes the song himself.

1. Dead Poets Society - When Todd steps up on his desk at the end, just as Maurice Jarre's score builds.

Hmm, maybe if Armageddon had a better score...

So I guess that makes Dead Poets my litmus test. Are you dead inside?

Ace of Cookies

2008-12-24T02:50:00.000-08:00

I finished my paper today! Now I am officially done with the semester. To celebrate, we had Gerald and Andrew over to decorate cookies. They were supposed to be Christmas cookies, but that's not exactly how they turned out. Vote for your favorite!

Bikini Bear and Bear Naked:

America (with phallic Great Lakes) and its flag:

Stanford Tree and helmet:

Cartman and Kenny:

Stan and Kyle:

poll by twiigs.com

Here's Bear Naked excited to see Bikini Bear:

Big Game cookies:

And the South Park gang together:

That's Andrew's "Hamster Wheel" and... OMG, they killed Kenny! You bastards!

Back From The Dead

2008-12-16T15:30:00.001-08:00

It's been ages since I last posted (the Dow Jones was above 10,000), but what better day to return than the day I finished finals! I am now halfway to a JD, with the hard half out of the way. I do still have a paper to turn in next week, a note on the Harry Potter Lexicon case, but it's something I've been working on over the course of the semester, so it shouldn't kill me.

As predicted back in August, this wasn't the most exciting semester class-wise. I got the ethics requirement out of the way, a total bore. Jurisdiction is an important concept, but not an interesting one. The writing workshop was painful.

The only saving grace was constitutional law. It completely kicked my ass, but in the process I got to explore a lot of topics I would have wanted to learn about on my own anyway, especially given the current political climate. Issues like executive power and equal protection dominate headlines, but even as a political news junkie, I never had a deep understanding of the underlying conflicts. After taking this class, I see things in a whole new light. For instance, now I hate Bush even more! :) (thereby reaffirming every stereotype of a Berkeley education) I also have a greater appreciation for the prospect of having a con law prof in the Oval Office. Change is coming.

Homer for Obama

2008-10-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

Good luck in Ohio, Rob.

Coming to House Late

2008-09-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

Ah, the wonders of TV on DVD. Lost, Prison Break, and now House. I missed the first four seasons before catching onto what most TV watchers have long since figured out: it's one of the best shows going. Mad Men just won an Emmy for best drama, but my vote goes to House.

Like West Wing before it, House is a drama full of laughs, mostly due to its hilarious lead character. Give Hugh Laurie an Emmy! He plays a Vicodin-addicted genius diagnostician who gets away with being a complete asshole because he saves so many lives. You (well, I) watch the show rooting for him to show hints of humanity, but also loving the fact that he mostly doesn't have any.

Gina and I are near the end of season three, and we already know a staff shake-up is coming, because we're simultaneously following the new episodes, which just started last week.

If you have Netflix, start collecting House DVDs. If you're anything like us, you'll churn through 'em.

Steve Loves Stanford

2008-09-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

Before the season opener between OSU and Stanford, Steve and I made a bet on our respective alma maters. The loser had to wear a shirt of the winning school to class the following week. OSU was favored, which offset the glaring disparity in punishments. In case you don't know how the game turned out...

He's a big guy (even though Google thinks he's a girl), so he can take care of himself, but he did get some insults hurled at him, and he overheard a girl say matter of factly, "That's just not safe!"

Due to various circumstances, he was late in paying up, so now the picture above is featured on his Facebook profile for the next week. :)

The Many Faces Of...

2008-09-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

Google's been busy with new releases. The most famous is Chrome, Google's new browser, but only slightly less well known is this! Picasa face recognition!

Like some of you, I've spent the time tagging photos on Facebook, but now Picasa does that sort of thing automatically! It scans your photos, groups similar faces together, and allows you to identify them in batches. Based on your past identifications, it starts making suggestions.

Some suggestions are like shooting fish in a barrel.

But others are more impressive. Underexposed, overexposed, super tan, wedding haircut, helmet head, I'm not ready to take a picture face, why the f*** are you taking my picture face, even four eyes, no problem.

It even gets Alan with goggle head, shaved head, and spiky head. Not sure I see the Ravi resemblance though.

I guess I looked pretty much the same from 1st to 7th grade, glasses or not. And now we know what Jack will look like, too, poor kid.

Okay, I guess he's more likely to turn out like this (or so Joanne would like Russell to believe). Look, even sunglasses are no problem.

It's pretty sure this is Gina, but it's absolutely positive she's Japanese.

This one pretty much speaks for itself.

Now when I say you look like a girl, Steve, I have Google backing me up. That's just short of Wikipedia saying it's so. To be fair, it thought that Brook and Robin Lopez were girls, too. And it doesn't even know their names.

And finally, validation of my Mii-making skills. Seriously, how awesome is this. Made me giddy as a schoolboy.

Who Watches the Watchmen?

2008-09-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart does.

Summer's out for the School Year

2008-08-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

Some thoughts on school starting back up this week:

- It's fun seeing all of my classmates again after barely seeing any of them this summer. Can't say the same about being back in class. Still in denial.

- Berkeley is dirty and full of bums and sticky sidewalks (I can hear my shoes peeling off of them), but it sure has a lot of good places to eat. Top Dog, how I missed you!

- The commute from Fremont is looong, but thankfully I only have to make it four times a week. No classes on Friday! Three-day weekends!

- I'm taking three normal classes and one writing workshop. But because of all the construction going on at Boalt this semester, resulting in a shortage of quiet time/space for scheduling final exams, non-1L professors have been encouraged to give their classes take-home finals. So I am going to end up having one big paper and three take-homes. Not sure if that's good or bad - I'll let you know in December - but right now I don't like the feel of this. At least the take-homes are time-limited.

- I'm taking Con Law, the one class I'm genuinely excited about besides the workshop, and it took just two days of reading to come across a reference to a certain friend's Pulitzer-winning father. That was pretty cool.

I want to play golf.