Bittersweet Victory

Last night, for the first time in years I felt proud to be an American. Unfortunately, about an hour later, I was utterly ashamed to be a Californian:

How can a state be more concerned with the welfare of its chickens (Prop 2 overwhelmingly approved by 63.2%) than the fundamental rights of a human being (passage of Prop 8)?

I am all for freedom of religion - but when your religion tells me what I can and cannot do, infringing on my natural right to be free and independent, to enjoy life and liberty - that is where I draw the line.

Marriage is sacred in your religion and is defined as being between a man and a woman? Great! Have all the religious ceremonies full of scripture and symbols and weird blessed liquids and ointments that your heart desires! Just leave me and my friends out of it.

I have a friend of the Hindu faith. He believes the cow is sacred (I admit here that I am part Hindu: the part that thinks highly of the cow, but not the part that refrains from eating it). Should he start a campaign to add an amendment to our Constitution banning the consumption of veal and beef on the grounds that it is immoral?

That scenario sounds absurd and even laughable, but is directly analogous to what occurred in California under Proposition 8. The only distinguishing factor between the two is that my dear Hindu friend is probably not in the majority, therefore his Prop probably won't pass.

But that distinguishing factor leads me to even more anguish. Since when is it O.K. for a majority to gang up on a minority to rape them of their inalienable rights? The fact that a majority of our nation (or state, in this case) is Christian does not assume that we follow their rules. Equally wrong is the justification that because our founding fathers were Christian, our laws should emulate Christian tenets. First, that fact is debatable, and second, it leads us directly down the same legislative intent path that justified the abhorrent Dred Scott decision.

History is an excellent tool for learning from our mistakes, but to blindly use it as a crutch to validate religious beliefs does nothing but slow our progression towards a true liberty. If anything, history should show us that we have a penchant for discrimination, and that realization, in turn, should expedite our evolution of social mores.

There is still hope. USC Law Professor David Cruz is a leading expert on same-sex marriage issues. His latest blog entry explains, at least legally, our next step.

Dis-Orientation

As if law school wasn't a big enough deal, they have to prepare you for it with an orientation...but wait...that's not enough. They need to prepare you for the orientation - get this - with a pre-orientation.

Now, I did find out a lot of helpful information and was fed a lot of great food (something that I never got at a state school during undergrad). I also got to meet many new friends and future colleagues.

But...

I drew the line when I had to sit in a class room for an hour while an administrator took us on a tour of the USC Law School web site and its features. Seriously. School hasn't even freakin' started yet and we're researching cases and writing case briefs...you'd think we'd know how to browse a web site.

Looking around at the credentials of the other students being oriented, it was clear that I'm on the bottom wrung of academia compared to them. I don't toss words like 'fellow' and 'dissertation' around in casual conversation. I enjoy reading books, usually at home or on a long plane trip, but you'll never, ever, find me in 'the stacks'.

That being said, if I got sick on campus, I could fairly easily assume that I would visit the Student Health Services Center, and if I wanted to work out (not while I was still sick...duh!), I would visit the Student Recreation Center. I'm confident I could find those buildings on a map, or even ask for directions if I was totally lost. No need. I received a personally guided walking tour of the campus. If I could figure this stuff out, no doubt Mr. Rhodes Scholar next to me can. So why waste all those precious man-hours on common sense stuff? How about a mock class using the Socratic method, or an in depth work shop on case briefing?

I think my orientation leaders (who were forced to do the tour) felt the absurdity of the whole thing and, to their credit, made the best of it by padding the tour with good advice.

Not that I'm bitter. I can't think of a better place that I'd like to spend my last few days of freedom before the storm hits than at the campus where I'll be spending the next 3 years of my life, getting to know the people that I'll be spending more time with than my own dear wife.

I shouldn't complain as USC is a great school and I'm privileged for the opportunity to attend. And as banal as parts of the orientation were, it couldn't be nearly as bad as attending that other school in L.A. (sorry GPG), who sent me their letter of rejection today, 10 months after I applied.

Rethinking Law School

After reading this explanation on the Texas Democratic Primary/Caucus, I've begun to think that if I can't understand this, maybe I'm not cut out for law school.

So Democrats can vote twice in Texas? And, if you are one of the super-delegates residing in Texas, you can vote 3 times (with the 3rd super-delegate vote weighted much more).

Makes perfect sense.

Photoblogging Monday Has Been Postponed...

...because I found out on Friday that I have been accepted to USC's Gould School of Law!

The deal was sealed on Saturday when I was rejected from Stanford, the last of my pending applications. I will be sending in my letter of intent today, and then comes the fun part of trying to figure out how to pay for it.

The reality of it all hasn't sunk in yet. I'm still in a daze.

USC was the school I wanted to get into, but I never thought about because I figured I had no chance and didn't want to be crushed. Instead, I dreamed of Ivy League schools that I knew I wouldn't get accepted to, but would have fun thinking about.

To celebrate, I've gone 'SC nuts - temporary blog colors (too bad I can't figure out how to change all of them), insistent fight song running a continuous loop through my head, and the sudden need to buy overpriced sweatshirts.

And Then There Were Two

I received my rejection notice today in the form of an email from Harvard. You'd think for the $70 application fee they charge, they'd at least give me the courtesy of sending me a letter with their official letterhead to frame next to my others.

My goal is to have a "HALL OF REJECTION" (said with deep voice and ultra echo effects), with framed and matted rejection letters from all of the top schools in the country. I think a laser printed email will look kind of tacky. Maybe Harvard is really a tacky school?

That leaves USC and Stanford.

In other news, I owe the IRS $1500 this year, down from almost $4000 last year. What makes paying taxes even more ridiculous is that I'll write them a check on April 15th, then they'll send me an economy stimulus check for $1200 sometime in May (hopefully). Would it be that difficult to just reduce the amount I owe by what I'll be refunded, so I only have to come up with $300? Naw...that would make too much sense.

I have the pleasure of spending all weekend at Disneyland, including a lifelong dream of eating at Club 33 Saturday night. I really hope it rains!

Here's a picture I snagged backstage at Disney...makes me wonder what happened on July 12th, 2006.

Farewell New Haven

As I have mentioned before, applying to Yale was like buying a lotto ticket - knowing you're not going to win, but there's always that chance your $1 could turn into millions, or in this case, the right admissions officer saw the right thing in my essay and looked past my mediocre GPA from a State school. Since there's only a day or two from when you buy the ticket to the big drawing, you must have a plan in place...you know...just in case.

I've had 3 months to plan and dream. I'd have to arrange a cross-country move, lovely wife would try to find work in Connecticut, and I'd have to update my exclusively t-shirt and jeans wardrobe.

Last night I found out that my lucky numbers weren't drawn.

The evil business #10 envelope (the type rejection letters are sent in), was cruelly tucked in the junk mail between the Arby's coupons and the El Torito ads touting Chef Pepe's newest creations, so I missed it completely in the first pass through the mail.

My emotions are quite mixed. Of course I'm sad that this long shot didn't play out, but not in the way that thousands of other rejects are ,who undoubtedly have much more invested in the process than I do.

I'm proud of the fact that I applied, that was a big step for me. I'm also somewhat relieved that I don't have to move to New Haven (although I'd still be happy to move to Cambridge or Palo Alto!).

Around the time I was submitting applications, I stumbled upon a Google TechTalk video on game theory. It stated that an applicant should rank the schools from most to least desirable. The highest school on that list that accepts the applicant would be the ideal match, making the assumptions that the admissions officers know how to choose a good fit for their school, and that the student can aptly assess the schools. This has worked successfully in the medical field matching doctors with residencies.

Instead of betting the farm on one particular school, I am playing the field. My heart is set on the highest school on my list that I get accepted to, not just the first school on my list. I'm tickled pink that I had offers from high up my list before I even applied to the lower end of my list.

Humbled Already

A necessity for law school is Black's Law Dictionary (Unabridged). It is a thick black-leather bound book that is not exorbitant, but runs close to $100.

I've been looking into getting one, if only to get into the habit of looking up words I don't know.

The other day I found myself at Barnes & Noble so I decided to check out their law section. It was easy to find, I just looked for expensive looking, dull books.

After thumbing through the U.S. Constitution and some do-it-yourself divorce books (note: I'm still happily married to my lovely wife), I came across the infamous Black's hiding on the bottom shelf.

A little chill ran up my spine as I decided to learn my first Latin lawyer word. I let the book fall open, a little past half-way through. I was in "P". I let my eyes wander naturally to the first word it picked up -

Pilot: (n) someone who flies a plane

I bowed my head, slowly closed the book and returned it to its spot on the bottom shelf.

Lesson learned.

Waiting, waiting

I heard back from UCLA, and I was neither denied nor accepted. I've been wait listed.

If I hadn't already been accepted to two other places, I'd be really anxious right now. It is nice to know that a place I figured I had zero chance of getting into thought I was good enough for a maybe.

They said they can notify wait-listers up to the first day of classes of their acceptance. I won't be holding my breath waiting to be accepted.

Choices....choices

Who'd have thought 6 months ago when I started studying for the LSAT that 1) I would actually be accepted somewhere, 2) I would have a choice of schools, and 3) I would be offered money to go to school?

I haven't heard back from my super top picks (Yale & Harvard), but their impending rejection letters aren't enough to get me down, knowing that I have a place to go to school next year and those schools are just as excited to have me as a student!

Could It Be?

Got home last night from a Kings game (my first hockey game ever!) and was met by the largest stack of mail I've ever received.

It was sort of like Christmas, where there are too many presents to comprehend, yet you can make out some of the shapes and sizes, realizing that some things you really wanted were sitting there under the tree.

In my stack of mail there were two large, thick envelopes, the same type of envelopes that my Loyola acceptance letter came in. Not wanting to be greedy I methodically worked my way through the stack of bills, wedding invitations, magazines (all my frequent flier mile subscriptions decided to show up on the same day), and junk mail.

When I finally got to those envelopes they ended up being from other law schools inviting me to apply.

I've gotten hundreds of letters and pamphlets advertising this and that law school, but to send out a large acceptance package size envelope this late in the application season when applicants are nervously checking their mailboxes daily is pure evil.

Just for that, DeVry Institute School of Law, I won't even consider applying to your school.

Batting .500

This blog started to help my writing for law school applications. Most of them were completed and mailed by early November. The last two months have been slow, somewhat scary, and full of hypothetical conversations between my lovely (and anonymous) wife.

"What if you get into here, and we have to move?"
or

"What if you get into this school, but this school offers you a scholarship?"

Much like people talk about what they would do with the money they won during the period between the purchase of the $1 lotto ticket and finding out they really didn't win. The problem with our talks were that neither of us really had any idea if or where I would get accepted...even from my list of 'probables'.

I found it odd that the day I decide to start blogging again, there were two decision letters waiting for me. The first was a standard business envelope from Berkeley (hippie bastards). They didn't find a spot for me in the class of 2011, but I tell you, it was the most feel-good rejection letter I have ever read. They regretted having to informing me, then hoped that I got into another top school of my choice followed by an invitation to apply as a transfer student if I really had my heart set on matriculating there. They did everything except for offer me a hug and a shoulder to cry on. I'm not bitter or surprised, in fact, they were on my 'shoot-for-the-moon' list of schools.

The second was a package from Loyola. Somehow they found something about my application that they really liked and offered me a spot in their class next year. They were on the top of my list of probables, so I am a) really excited, especially since I know others who haven't been so lucky and b) extremely relieved. Now I can relax knowing that I have a good school to go to next year. If a better offer comes along from my 'you should have spend the $70 application fee on lotto tickets because you'd have a better chance there' schools, great, but in the meantime I can kick my feet back and enjoy the last 8 months of my freedom.

Law School Apps

An update on my law school applications, which was the original purpose of my blog. I have submitted the first six applications, mostly to hoity-toity schools: Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA and Loyola. Of the six, I figure Loyola is the only one I'm likely to get in. Loyola law highly regarded in Los Angeles, but ranks in the mid-60s, as compared to top-15 like the others.

One of the mistakes I made in college was not shooting high enough academically. I always worked my butt off, but never even thought of applying to top-tier schools or for scholarships. I still haven't figured out if it was lack of confidence, interest, laziness or a combination of the three. I think I've made up for it this time around; whether it's too little too late remains to be seen.

While I know it's a long shot, submitting an application to Yale and Harvard is akin to buying two quick picks in the lotto. There's always a chance, and, at least for a while I can have fun thinking up "What If" situations while I wait for a response.

My final task before I can start submitting applications is to update my resume. I'm not as worried about it as I was my personal statement, but it hasn't been updated in 6 years and I have so many different jobs it is really tough to organize. It is also tough because I work 9-5 everyday and this week I'm playing a show every night, so that leaves early mornings or late nights to finish up.

My wife commuted via train this morning so she didn't make coffee. I realized how spoiled I had become waking to the smell of sweet Peaberry and half & half. I had to settle for the Folger's brand at work. I'm starting to feel the effects of that now, as crankiness creeps in and creativity and hope for the world dissipate. Maybe it's a much needed change of pace from my usual bloviating.

Weekend Recap

For those of you who are wondering, the procrastination monster slowly crept back into the closet Saturday afternoon. I finally cranked out version 1.0 of my law school personal statement. Writing about myself knowing it will be judged is one of the hardest things I've done to date. I couldn't hide behind a screen name and after many ideas about what I thought admissions officers would like to read, I threw them all out the window and let my heart speak. I know this because the truth hit me so hard I had to take three or four breaks because I couldn't stop crying. The writing process broke me down to my pure essence, just like those in The Crucible (my 10th grade English teacher would be proud).

The rest of my weekend was a nice contrast to the emotional deluge of the personal statement: two championship boxing matches and the mid-season Super Bowl watched, a musical rehearsal in Malibu, dinner and conversation with visiting friends and a surprise visit by our new resident roadrunner.

Day 5:

Happy Halloween! I wore my traditional Jack o' Lantern t-shirt to work today to liven things up a bit. Since my deadline for submitting my law school applications is quickly approaching (read: tomorrow), I am gearing up to finish my personal statement tonight. There are a few auxillary essays to write still, but those should be much easier as the scope is more defined ("Why our school?").

Listening to news clips of the recent debates has really depressed me, not because of the mudslinging and name calling, that has always existed, but because of the intelligence level of the statements being made. Compared to speeches and debates of the past, candidates speak to the nation as if we were 3rd graders. Spend two minutes reading transcripts (I couldn't bare to read much more) of the recent Democratic and Republican debates and you get this sense. Compare that to the Lincoln-Douglas debates or even the more recent Kennedy-Nixon debates and today's candidates look like they were picked straight from some community college debate club (no offense to community colleges).

My favorite excerpt from Barack Obama:

"Well, first of all, I think some of this stuff gets over- hyped. In fact, I think this has been the most hyped fight since Rocky fought Apollo Creed, although the amazing thing is, I'm Rocky in this situation."

Do people really hear this and say - "What a way to start off a debate! Wow, this guy referred to a movie I like. He must be like me. He would be a great president. "

I want someone who is not like me to be president. They should be smarter, more well read, have an exceptional memory, be emotionally balanced, and thorough knowledge in economics. It wouldn't hurt if they were fluent in other languages as well. Those people do exist. How about someone with extensive knowledge of other religions? That could be handy.

While I've opted not to comment on the current administration, we can learn from their failures; the ability to surround yourself with only the highest qualified appointees & advisers is the most underrated skill. Warren G. Harding lingers near the top of many 'Worst Presidents Ever' lists and he wasn't that bad of a guy, it was the people around him. Sound familiar? On the other hand, Herb Alpert was certainly not the best trumpet player ever, but he was the most successful (monetarily speaking) because he had business smarts and surrounded himself with the best musicians in the world.

Either later today or tomorrow I'll post my solution to the endless election process.

Day 3/4:

Three days into my goal to write a daily blog and I fail miserably. It's OK though because I failed not because I had nothing to write, but because I simply forgot and this is supposed to be a writing exercise, not a test in memory.

Note to Rockies: Next time, only win 17 out of your last 22 games before entering the World Series and save the last four for when it counts. Baseball is a game of streaks, and if you didn't see that streak turning cold during their 9 day hiatus between winning the pennant and the start of the W.S., you're as out of touch as that guy holding the "Git R Done" sign behind home plate.

On the legal front, I have received numerous invitations to apply to various schools. Most of them have been 2nd tier schools that rely on heavy marketing to survive; however, I was surprised that Vanderbilt, Baylor and most recently UCLA sent me invitations as well as application fee waivers. I don't know if this is standard procedure, but it certainly boosts my confidence some.

Day 2:

I enjoyed a nice respite last night from my applications by attending the infamous Fortune Halloween Party. With the exception of having to walk up the steepest road I've ever seen, the party was great. It's always awkward going to parties where there a several people you somewhat know, even worse when they are in costume. People I would normally recognize (but not know their name) would start talking to me and I would be clueless as to where I knew them from. I guess that's a sign that my costume wasn't good enough since they could recognize me!

I made a dent in my law school applications yesterday by pounding out some supplemental material (work experience, honors received, etc.) for my long shot Yale. I was proud that I got through the dreaded 250 word essay, with great editorial help from my Mom. My next task - the personal statement.

While I spend time on social sites like myspace and facebook, I have noticed that when filling out my profiles I have always had problems with the "About Me" field, often times leaving them blank. Why can I list hundreds of books, movies, songs, heroes and things I enjoy doing, but not a single thing about who I am? Is it a self esteem issue, where I don't want people to read what I think about myself? Is it because I enjoy being undefined? This has created a dilemma for my personal statements, where I need to fill 2 pages worth of interesting, non egotistical yet self marketing stories depicting who I am.

At the same time, I need to convey my reasons for going to law school. It is tough for me to sound convincing since my passion is for music and I don't want to come off as being negative or a quitter. Maybe I just need confidence in the validity of my decision to switch careers. I have always been interested in the law, its processes and to some extent its mystique but never enough to pursue at the sacrifice of my music.

I'm going to think this through some more before I start writing, but after I take a short hike outside and listen through another Japanese lesson to clear my mind.

Day 1:

Saturday morning finds me alone in my Legend of Zelda sleep pants, coddling my cup of coffee with an extra pour of half & half in an attempt to make this day more special. The task at hand is to advance my law school applications to completion - procrastination is responsible for the birth of this blog. Each step during this process has been exhilarating, but at the same time pushing the limits of my cognitive and emotional bounds.

I've always wanted to be a musician -- wait, that's not totally true -- first I wanted to drive the fire engine down Main Street in Disneyland (which I haven't ruled out yet). Sage advice led me to do what I love as a career, for that is where happiness lies. This turned out to not be true for me, as playing the trumpet has turned into work, not the passion that it once was. Taking jobs because they were "at least related to music" but paid the bills has created an environment where I'm both unhappy and not doing what I love - performing.

Divorcing a lifelong passion has not been easy, in fact it has been gut wrenching. My mantra has always been, "There is no gig too far away, or pays too little." Paying my dues would create greater opportunities down the road, but how far down the road does one go if those investments don't come to fruition. I look at Abraham Lincoln and his long list of failures and wonder if I should persist as he did, then I look at my musician colleagues who share my passion, many of whom are twice my age, still paying their dues, and not happy with their lives.

My decision was made strangely enough because of the recent surge in housing foreclosures. Many negative amortization loans had been given; combine that with declining home values and you have people who owe more on something that is worth less . After 12 years of paying my dues, I am at a point where I have to sacrifice more than I did at the start of my career to receive the same, if not fewer benefits.

The most promising advice came from a lawyer who had intended to sway me from law school:

"Most lawyers I know are unhappy people. They work 60 hours a week, have little time for friends and family, and generally don't enjoy what they do."

While I listened to his advice, in the back of my mind I was thinking, "You mean, I can work fewer hours than I do now, in a job just as enjoyable as my current one, and start off with a minimum 300% raise? Where do I sign up? Then I could afford those trumpets I've always wanted to buy!"