Today Was A Long Day

I turned in my Legal Ethics paper on Monday of this week. I have no more school work except for finals. I am quite relieved and exhausted.

To explain my exhaustion I will share what happened to me after getting home from school today.

I arrived home slightly after 6pm after purchasing nearly 1 gallon of various energy drinks. I don't know if they actually work but I insist on drinking them anyway. After parking, unloading and putting away the drinks I used the toilet.

Then, I woke up.

I was lying on my back in the middle of my game room floor. My cat was sitting my chest purring. I was very confused. I did not recall falling asleep or even finishing up what I had started in the bathroom. Evidently I had and managed to make it out of the bathroom only to fall asleep on the floor in front of me. Needless to say, I was tired.

Now, I am still tired; but that's what the energy drinks are for.

When Writing an Ethics Paper is Procrastination My Friend or Foe?

Well, I should be working on my paper write now, but I'm not.

I have a Legal Ethics paper due on November 27 and my professor, Dr. Hinkley, has given the class a list of possible topics. They are as follows:

1) Sexual Harassment
2) Whistle Blowing
3) Legal Advertising
4) Defending the Guilty
5) Prosecuting the Innocent
6) Legal Billing (lawyers' fees)
7) The Adversarial System
8) Class Action Lawsuits
9) Silent Settlements
10) Zealous Advocacy
11) You can also address a case that you find in the news.

I am not entirely certain what my thesis will be but would like it focus of Prosecuting the Innocent. In particular, I want to discuss the problems that arise within the judicial system when it is realized that an innocent person has been persecuted, imprisoned or even put to death. The death penalty is the reason I want to discuss the Prosecution of the Innocent.

I believe, and know for a fact, that people make mistakes. I am also aware of the fact that many people do not like to admit their mistakes. However, if mistake is made of killing an innocent person in the name of justice we have gone too far.

Some questions I will be addressing:

- How can you right that situation? Is it even possible?
- If someone is found guilty for murder and is put to death and we later find out that they were innocent, are we not then considered murderers? If so, do we deserve to be put to death, too?
- If we, as a society, allow for the death penalty and innocent people have been put to death then is not the entire society guilty of murder?
- Should the death penalty not be allowed only because of the possibility that we may charge an innocent person with it?
- Is the entire judicial system at fault when an innocent person is found guilty?
- Is the sentence, or the death penalty, at fault when someone is sentenced to death who never committed a crime?
- How do we make sure that someone who is innocent is found not guilty?

These, and others, are some of the excitingly fun leading questions that one gets to ask when dealing with extremes found within our judicial system. These are the kinds questions that I like to try and answer.

But for now...I must finish posting this blog entry and go back to writing my paper.


p.s. - i'm still not sure if procrastination is my friend or foe.

Under the Texas Weather

Well...I'm sick; and I don't like it. I, however, am not to blame. If one wants to know what made me sick all that need be done is look up.

Texas Weather is my enemy.

It is November, which means Winter for most of the northern hemisphere; everywhere but Texas. Not one week ago it was in the mid-60s during the days and 50s during the nights. It was perfect. But that was all ruined when Texas Weather decided to have another record breaking day; 91 degrees in November. Global Warming and El Nino can't even give reason for this absurdity!

It is because Texas Weather can not make up it's mind that I am suffering. Stupid, stupid weather. Stay hot or stay cold but don't jump back-and-forth; it's just not fair.

On the plus side, I do have my store-brand meds to help me make it through the day. Since, as you all know, I am a grad student the prices they affix to Vick's and Cold-Eeze brands are too high I must settle for the Walgreen's store-brand. But the joke is on Vick's and Cold-Eeze because little do they know that the Walgreen's brands work just as well on me!! I shall never spend the extra dollar on Vick's or Cold-Eeze ever again (find another fool to sucker in)!!!

And the Food is Great, Too

The rumors are true; graduate students do eat great!

Just today, I created the most sensatiable sensation; bacon and matzah ball soup!! (and no, they were not mixed together)

I know, I know...it doesn't sound that great, but it is. Just take a look at the picture.

In fact, the bacon and matzo ball soup play off of each other quite well. The matzo ball soups is delicious, light and soft. Where as the bacon has a powerful and delightful crunch to it. Where the matzo ball soup leaves off the bacon picks up! The two were born for each other!

Now, I realize that there will be those of you who are thinking, "Aren't you Jewish? How can you be eating bacon?? And how much irony is there involved in this food combination??? Could it not be considered a blatant ruining of matzo ball soup by eating it with bacon????"

It is true; I am Jewish. But, if the rules of Kashrut were up to me, then bacon would be kosher since it is sooooo delicious. As for the combination and the possibility of bringing shame to the matzo ball soup, well that is just ridiculous. Everyone knows that matzo ball soup is the ultimate food and could never be ruined by another!

So, I recommend to you this wonderful food combination. I must now indulge myself since the smell has now captivated my complete attention. Grad school students eat great!

2 More Years...

Yesterday, on November 7th, 2006 I was told by the Graduate College's admissions office at Texas State University that I was in; it was official. I had been accepted into graduate school. The degree I have set out to earn is my Master's of Science in Industrial Technology.


It was then that my life began as a Graduate Student.

Since then I have discussed the possibility of becoming a Graduate Assistant with my graduate advisor, Dr. Andy Batey. The position looks very promising and may even allow me to teach my own class in one years time. If I get the job I will be able to work along side a buddy of mine that I met at teleNetwork, Andy Grimmer. Also, I have signed up for the first graduate courses, which include:

TECH 5387; Planning Advanced Technology Facilities
TECH 5392; Fundamentals of VLSI Fabrication
PHIL 5323; environmental Ethics

Those will be my first classes as a graduate student; I am quite excited. The two TECH courses will be very interesting, especially the VLSI class which will include the fabrication of my own integrated circuit! (by the way, i'm a dork) The ethics course will also be very cool especially since I have studied under the professor, Dr. Audrey McKinney, before.

So off I go, into the world of graduate student-ness. Wish me luck!